Aftershocks
by aria710
Summary: Sequel to Make A Wish.  Starting at the events of DBZ. Bulma's wish isn't over after she gets back to Earth. The effects persist, especially after the inevitable reunion with a certain Saiyan. AU.
1. Twelve Years Later

A/N:

Hi! Did you miss me? As you might have guessed based on the summary (which I actually haven't written yet, but I'm assuming it'll mention something), this is the sequel to my recently completed story _Make A Wish_. If you have not read _Make A Wish_, I really, **really**, suggest you do. Otherwise this story might not make too much sense. But I can't really force you to so anything, so if for whatever reason you don't want to read my completed story, then..well...have fun :D

Sorry that I've been so busy lately. I meant to post this yesterday, but then remembered that I had a tournament this weekend and needed to train my ass off. But, apparently training your ass off leads to purple feet that hurt when you walk, so I'm currently somewhat crippled. Which is bad for me and classes, but good for me and writing :D

I wanted to mention that this will NOT be a retelling of DBZ. I mean, you can just buy the manga if you wanted a retelling. As the title suggests, this is about the after effects of _Make A Wish_. I want to thank everyone that offered title suggestions for this story, but I seriously just had an idea for a title right after I posted the last chapter. Huh, go figure. But thank you guys for all of you wonderful suggestions :D I couldn't choose one, so I didn't choose any...if that makes sense. I'll stop talking now.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to DB/DBZ/DBGT. I'd be much richer and older if I did.

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Part II

_Twelve Years Later  
_

She couldn't believe it. She was going to be late. Too late. The last thing she wanted to hear was Roshi or Krillin lecturing her about time. Bulma grabbed her bag, stopping at the mirror by the front door and taking in her appearance. It had been years since she last seen her friends, but she really didn't seem too bad. Her hair was a lot shorter, so much easier to work with in the back laboratories of Capsule Corp. She wore baggier clothing, but that was more to prevent any more of Roshi's inappropriate passes. _Maybe he'll think I'm too old now and move on_. The thought brought an unfamiliar combination of fear and relief. Bulma didn't look 28. At least, she didn't think so. Sure her style might have matured a bit from ribbons and short pink dresses, but she had no wrinkles, no fine lines, no age spots. Which was a blessing considering her job.

If she thought traveling with Goku and co. had been stressful, she had no idea what it would be like catering to stuffy old windbags all day. Half of them couldn't care less of what she had to say, even though she was Vice President of one of the richest corporations on Earth, and the other half made Roshi look like a newly confirmed monk. The board meetings were a nice challenge, she supposed, for her more verbal and fiery nature. But if she had a choice, she would have much preferred holding herself hostage in a laboratory, straining over some (probably) useless invention until her eyes burned with exhaustion.

But who was she kidding?

If she _really_, _truly_, had her way, she'd be out in the world again. Fresh air. New challenges. There were no limits it seemed, when she was with her friends back in her 'so called' youth. Her life had come to a screeching halt after the World Martial Arts tournament. Goku had actually married that girl, while the rest of her friends went back to training. Well, except Yamcha, if he could even be counted as her friend. She unconsciously gritted her teeth, thinking of him. _Jerk! How dare he!_

Bulma found herself increasingly happy that she managed to get his answering machine, telling him that if he even _thought_ about going to the reunion today she would personally see him castrated. They were her friends first. No way was she going to share them with some lying, cheating creep.

They had been dating for ten years. Ten years. It was more than some marriages lasted, now that she thought of it. It had been silly at first, trying to assimilate a desert bandit into the normal, everyday life of a West City inhabitant. They had laughed when Yamcha thought her mother's pet dinosaurs were wild or when she first introduced him to the movies. It had been there first real date, him blushingly holding her hand as they ordered salty popcorn, sitting next to each other and sneaking sideward glances at some of the more romantic scenes. She was happy that he had finally mellowed around her. She didn't want her boyfriend to have an asthma attack whenever she touched him. No, no. Yamcha had adjusted. The once shy, clueless desert bandit had soon turned into quite the sweet talker. He started bringing her roses and candy, like any normal boyfriend. He brought her to nice restaurants, bought her teddy bears that sang corny love songs, and always remembered her birthday. He was practically perfect. Until he totally fucked up.

She supposed she had seen it coming for a while. The missed dates, the guilty repentances, the lame excuses, the perfume that made him smell like some giddy, teenaged ditz. But it wasn't until she actually went to his apartment, the thick smell of sweat and afterglow stinging her as soon as she entered his bedroom.

There was a lacy pair of pink and yellow underwear on his bed, seeming to be left so carelessly. But it was so out in the open, staring her in the face as if smacking her in the head screaming, "Look, Bulma. Perfect boyfriends just turn out to be cheating bastards!" She berated him ruthlessly afterwards, calling him an "asshole", "dickhead", "backstabber". He took it all without a word, first trying to claim they were hers. _As if. I wouldn't buy such cheap trash. _And then going on to explain that it was just some fling.

She couldn't care less. Fling or not they were done.

It had killed her pride a little to think he needed to turn to someone else. Was she not satisfying him enough? She snuffed. If that were the case, she couldn't help but confess that the feeling was sometimes mutual. They never really had the sturdiest of relationships, but after ten years, their droning repetition became a well known tune.

She tried to calm down, seeing the small island suddenly come into her view. They were all outside, obviously waiting for her. She hadn't intended on being so late. Bulma just wanted to take a little nap before their little get together. That was it. She had no way intended on having _that_ dream again. _It was probably just because of Yamcha_. That would have made the most sense. They used to be more frequent when she was younger, after she had first come back from Karbos. But that was over a decade ago.

The beginning would be the same every time, nothing changing, always the same old scene. It was dark. Nothing but metal and small panes of glass, showing the cruel frontier of space outlined as far as visibly possible, even from a Saiyan's eyes. He would look out of that window, arms crossed, chin up, looking as arrogant as she remembered. There would be footsteps coming down the hallway. One. Two. Three. The Saiyan Prince would turn around, scowling at the new figure next to him and then following him down the hall.

Their figures glided smoothly through the hallway, the blue skinned one's cape flicking up at the fast pace. They stopped at a tall, arched metal door, the blue skinned one touching the Saiyan lightly on the shoulder, earning him a scowl. "It's what you deserve." At those words the doors would slide open, revealing nothing but a dark room.

The Saiyan Prince walked further, unaccompanied. He immediately went down to one knee, right arm flush against his chest as his head bent downwards. She hated seeing him like this. "My lord."

That voice came back, that almost effeminate, sickly voice that echoed in her brain on the worst of cold nights. It was on those nights that she would cuddle closer to Yamcha, relishing in the soft warmth his body radiated. His arm muscles systematically responded to her body's chills, lazily spreading across her in fake protection. But there was no Yamcha when she had napped; there was nothing to wake her up this time.

"You've been a bad boy, Vegeta."

She felt her skin crawl at the monster's voice, as if his white, long fingers were sliding disgustingly across her arms. The Saiyan Prince didn't look up but just pushed his chin deeper into her chest. It was then she realized she was standing in the doorway, speechless, breathless, motionless. She stood there frozen as the monster continued to speak.

"You thought this wouldn't have any repercussions?"

"I...don't know what you are talking about, my lord." His submission disgusted her. She wanted to move but found her legs glued to the floor. "What did I do to..."

"Idiot, filthy monkey! You should have burned with the rest of your disgusting planet! How dare you even _think_ of rebelling against me! Using that stupid girl as a spy! HA!" His voice cackled across the room, and Vegeta noticeably flinched. "You thought I would just let you have her? You thought that she came to you so freely? You're a fool." The monster came into her line of vision, no longer in that hover contraption, but standing on his short yet muscular legs. His long tail snapped in the air, hitting Vegeta directly across the cheek and slamming the Saiyan to the ground. "Everyone is under my thumb. Remember that."

Vegeta crawled back up on his hands. She scowled seeing his face already bruising and blood falling from his mouth. He was still so young, not a day older than when she had last saw him. His pointed black hair look disheveled, messy, and she saw the hollow look in his eyes. "Lord Frieza..."

"Do not speak to me. The girl told me of your treachery. You're nothing but a dirty Saiyan, Vegeta. And for that you need to be punished."

"NO!" She would cry, but no one would hear. She yelled until her voice cracked, but neither one of them even turned to her direction. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Her nails scraped against her palm as her fist clenched, earning her the wet reward of her own blood.

Frieza slammed his tail against the Saiyan again, dragging him to the ground. His white, cold hands roughly tore at the end of Vegeta's tail, making the prince let out a blood curdling yell. It echoed through the dark room, never fading in Bulma's mind. "STOP IT!

Vegeta's face was bloody and purple. Freiza kicked him brutally in the chin and then grabbed him by the throat, sending the young boy against the metallic wall. "You disgust me. You and your whole pathetic race. What pride can a bunch of monkeys have? How are you even a prince? Are you the only one decent enough not to scratch his ass in public?" He cruelly laughed and slammed his broken body again on the wall. "Such a pathetic creature doesn't deserve the title of prince."

With that, he dropped Vegeta's limb body to the ground, igniting a ki blast and lodging it deep into the Saiyan's core. He coughed up warm scarlet blood and his head looked practically lifeless. He didn't even have the energy to wipe the stain from his lips.

"Vegeta!" Freiza was gone by then. She was the only one there, only her voice and the soft flow of blood sounding in the room. "Vegeta!" She kneeled down in the wet puddle, getting her lab coat all wet. This part had been different. She was wearing that gold bracelet Yamcha had bought her on their fifth anniversary. She was a grown woman now, short hair, glasses and cigarettes tucked inside her jeans pocket. "Vegeta..." The tears rolled from her eyes, blurring her vision, and she quickly wiped them away. Her hands went across his young face to scrape the blood, but she felt her whole body grow weak. Her tears brought her head down to his chest, blue hair soaked and crusted over in fresh blood. The salt of her tears burned her dry skin, and she wrapped her arms around the Saiyan. "Vegeta, wake up."

But his eyes were always open, solid black, without light. She was surprised to still feel force in his hand when he grabbed her and vehemently brought her up to his face. "You did this." The pain he felt ate at her. "I trusted you."

"Bulma?"

She really was on auto pilot. It took her a second to realize she had already landed by the Kame House, her plane beside her, and Krillin and Master Roshi looking at her, wide eyed. "Oh, hey guys!" She took one glance around and then looked at her watch, "Where's Goku? And why are you guys outside? That desperate to see me I guess?"

Krillin shook his head, "...We weren't waiting for you. Goku had to leave with Piccolo."

_What? _That had to be the weirdest thing she ever heard. Sure, maybe Goku had to leave to _fight_ Piccolo or _stop_ Piccolo from taking over the world, but never, ever would Goku go with Piccolo for any other reason. "Is something wrong?"

Krillin gulped, not really knowing what to say, "This...guy came. He took Goku's son and flew off, saying something about how Goku was from another planet."

Her heart stopped. She hadn't really intended on telling Goku about his true heritage. It would be too confusing, too unbelievable. And of course it would lead to questions asking of how she knew that. And that would lead to questions about Vegeta, which she was not prepared to ever answer. There was too much in that one sentence for Bulma to digest. She tried to steady her knees, gulping before asking the question she was least interested in, "Goku has a son?"

"Yeah, he wanted to surprise us with the kid." Roshi shook his head. "Poor boy was kidnapped by a guy claiming to be his own uncle. Anyway, you have my truffles, Bulma?"

If she had been drinking she would have choked, "Un-Uncle?" She immediately turned around, confusing everyone around her. _Raditz? Is it Raditz? What's going on? _ She had one leg up onto her Capsule plane when Krillin protested.

"Bulma! What do you think you're doing!"

"Mind your own business!"

Krillin shook her head, following her over to the plane, "If you're going to Goku and Piccolo, I'm coming with you!"

"Then fly behind me! I don't have much room in here." She fuddled through the yellow plane, turning on the dials rapidly and buckling up. Her hands fumbled with the small white and gold box, "And here are your stupid truffles!" She tossed the box to Roshi before letting the plane take off, Krillin close behind her.

Her brain was banging, thoughts running and colliding, past experiences that she wished to forget stirring in the present. _Raditz..._ What was he doing here? She didn't think it was just some brotherly check up, not if Piccolo had to get involved. Plus, he apparently kidnapped his own nephew. _Talk about family problems._ Bulma couldn't help herself from thinking if another Saiyan had accompanied him here. "KRILLIN!" She shouted through the side of the plane, "CAN YOU SENSE THEM?"

The bald man nodded and flew up in front of her, leading her further and further across the sea and back over land. Krillin moved to the side and stopped suddenly when they came across a large field next to a mountain range. Bulma let the plane hover and leaned over the edge where she was able to make out three figures. "They're down there, aren't they?"

Krillin nodded curtly, "Goku didn't want me to fight since I couldn't be wished back by the dragon balls. But this guy Bulma...he's unbelievable. One kick and he sent me through Kame House."

_Has Raditz gotten stronger?_ She remembered Vegeta thinking he was pathetic, but Bulma didn't want to think her friends were that weak. She guided the plane down, interrupting the three fighters on the ground next to her. Krillin landed right in front of her, arms out stretched. "Bulma, are you insane? You're no match for him! Don't get yourself killed. Trust me, it sucks."

"Krillin..." She was barely hearing him. The scene before her was so _unreal_. There was Goku, not looking any older than when she had last seen him, in his orange gi next to _Piccolo_. Of all people to be his ally, this would have been the last one she'd expect. But it wasn't just that. The villain they were facing was a lost face, a person from an entirely different world. "Oh, Kami, it is Raditz."

He was older now, as he should have been, his black unruly hair looking even more disheveled than it was over a decade ago, if at all possible. His green scouter framed one of his eyes, and Bulma's memories came back in one fluid flash. She was excited the last time she had seen him. He had heard of her planet and knew Goku.

"STAY BACK!" Goku was shouting at them when he saw her approaching. But Bulma couldn't listen. Her memories were livid. The pointed armor, the dark hair, the scouters...it all reminded her of her wish, of Vegeta. "Bulma! What do you think you're doing?"

Raditz cocked an eyebrow when Bulma walked up to him, unafraid. Her palms were sweating at the lack of recognition on Raditz's face. He just stared at her, dumbfounded by her actions. "Goku...I can handle this."

The other Saiyan across from her hit a button on the scouter, "Hmph. You're power level is a measly 2. You wouldn't last ten seconds against me."

_Really a 2? Still? _But this wasn't the time to complain or think about going to the gym more. She held her hands on her hips, eyeing Raditz fiercely. "I'm not going to fight you, Raditz." Bulma gulped, feeling Goku right behind her. Her long time friend grabbed her wrist, patently tugging her back, but Bulms stood her ground, "You don't want to kill your brother, do you?"

He huffed, "He is no longer my brother. You Earthlings brainwashed him into thinking he was some pathetic human! You even cut off his tail!" Raditz was infuriated. "The least I can do is take my nephew to be raised like a _proper _Saiyan."

"Bulma, leave. Now."

It was rare for her to hear the serious tone in Goku's voice. He was holding her tightly now, almost breaking her wrist, but Bulma refused to shudder. Raditz hadn't recognized her, which wasn't too surprising since they hadn't seen each other in years. She needed to spark his memory. "Are you taking him to Vegeta?"

That did it.

Raditz flashed in front of her, not touching her, but looking at her, clear confusion all over his face. "...It can't be..."

Goku let go of her wrist and scratched his head at the sudden shift in tension, "Bulma, what are you talking about?"

She held up a finger to Raditz. "Wait a second okay?" The stunned Saiyan dimly nodded, and Bulma sighed before continuing. "Look Goku...I...kind of know about you. About how you're a Saiyan."

Her friend inhaled sharply, "You _what_?"

"I...met some people 12 years ago, remember? When I made that wish?" She sighed when Goku just looked at her blankly, "I met Raditz on a different planet...I know it's ridiculous but..."

Her words stopped short as a bright flash of light heated the air and slammed into something soft. There was a deep yell of unbearable pain, and both her and Goku glanced over to the right, seeing Piccolo's purple blood spilled all over the grassy field. His white eyes glazed over, looking stark and cold on his fading green body. "...Piccolo..." Goku's voice was soft, as if he had been a fallen comrade. The younger Saiyan turned sharply to face his brother, "You Bastard!"

"Goku, no!" She held onto his arm fully, letting his dark eyes glance down to her in anger and surprise. "Don't do this. We can't afford to have you die."

"The Namekian was trying to take your son back, Kakarot. I couldn't let that happen." Raditz grimly smiled and then turned his attention back to Bulma, "You, girl...how did you ever escape Karbos?" Raditz groaned in displeasure, "Zarbon made it his duty to kick the shit out of me for 5 years when I had failed that mission. Though I guess I should thank you."

"Huh?"

Raditz's gaze unlocked from hers and went to Goku's, "Saiyans get stronger after they recover from a near death experience. Perhaps, I should do you a favor, brother."In an instant, Raditz's fist collided with Goku's abdomen. The fighter bent over in torturous pain, and his older brother took full advantage, slinging his muscular leg into Goku's back and sending him crashing into a nearby cliff.

"ASSHOLE!" Bulma went forward, anger blinding her rational intelligence. She lifted her hand to smack the Saiyan, but Raditz just grabbed her, holding her arm roughly.

"How did you escape Karbos?"

Fear spread through every inch of her. Her blue eyes flashed to Piccolo's dead body, to Goku's unconscious form, and then to Raditz's pod, where a small little boy sat there bawling in shock. "I...the dragon balls."

"The what?"

"They...grant wishes...Goku had wished me back using them."

The Saiyan looked at her, trying to see if she was being deceitful, but only seemed more confused. "They grant wishes?"

"Well, they _did_." There was no reason to hide the dragon balls anymore, not with Piccolo dead. "But now that you killed Piccolo, they're gone! So good job! You could have wished for anything, but you just had to kill him, huh!"

Raditz ignored her outburst, pressing another button on the scouter, "Vegeta, did you hear that?"

Bulma froze. _He's...he's..._

There was a soft grumble from the scouter, and Raditz nodded, "Yes, it seems that the Namekians may have these devices that grant any wish...No! no! I'm not making it up...You see that girl...what girl?...that girl you had, the Earthling... Just one year, please..." Raditz became silent, nodding his head over the low grumbles, making random affirmations over the scouter.

Bulma hesitantly bit her lip. _Vegeta...is this for real? _ She bit down harsher, drawing blood. Yeah, she wasn't dreaming.

"Look, girl." Raditz spoke quickly, "I will be training my nephew, and if you and my brother want to see him again, you will go to Namek one year from today and help us locate these balls."

_Namek?_ "But how am I supposed to get there? Where's Namek?"

Raditz shrugged, "Prince Vegeta says that if you are truly Bulma then you'll figure it out. You're supposed to be a genius of some sort."

She inwardly smirked. _He would say that. _Bulma pushed the thoughts of Vegeta away, looking instead at the little boy in the space pod. "If you hurt him..."

"It is for his own good, girl. He will be a strong fighter."

Bulma shook her head, "Don't let Frieza touch him...please, Raditz."

The Saiyan just began to hover, "I'm his uncle." He started to fly back to the space pod, but then stopped, powering down and eyeing Bulma strangely, "You should feel lucky my prince has asked to leave your planet intact. But I do hope the next time we meet, my brother will not be so weak." He paused a bit, "The Namekian had to die, I hope you understand."

She hadn't really cared about Piccolo. Sure it was awful taking another's life, but with the power Raditz held, she was just grateful the field wasn't burning around her. Piccolo wasn't exactly the nicest guy here, and he had gotten in the way of Raditz's plans. Half of her was happy, actually. The guy was probably training these past couple of years just to kill Goku, and now he wouldn't have the chance to. But she knew with his death brought the disappearance of the dragon balls and that was a scary thought. _Unless this Namek place has them too. _ She had always assumed Piccolo was an alien. He was _green_ after all. _Maybe this Namek is his home planet. Maybe they have dragon balls too. _ It did explain their future meeting place. "You...Saiyans..." she lost her voice, that one thought overpowering her, "Vegeta..."

Raditz half smiled and turned back to his space pod. He was far away, but Bulma noticed the quick decisive hand motion. He knocked his nephew unconscious and then went into the space pod, leaving as if he had never came.

Bulma quickly rushed over to Goku. He was bloody and must have at least broken his legs. Bruises dotted his body, and Bulma quickly took of her white jacket, wrapping it around one of the worst wounds on his shoulder. Krillin was right there next to him, holding his best friend's head in his lap. He looked up to Bulma, rightfully confused, "Mind telling me what the Hell just happened there? Why did you let him take Gohan? Why would you make a deal with him?"

She didn't know what to say. Goku would be furious with her when he woke up, and she could only imagine how Chichi would feel, her little boy kidnapped by some psychopathic long lost family member. But it seemed like the only option she had. _Namek in one year..._ The thought was so prominent in her mind, taking over every inch of her memory. Her dream had just been a nightmare after all. He wasn't defeated or killed or laying in his own pool of blood. "...He's alive."

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A/N:

I didn't want to do this at the beginning (for some reason...gosh, who knows how my mind works), but THANKS TO EVERYONE that reviewed _Make A Wish_! I hope this answered your need for a sequel. If you're wondering when the next part will be posted, I'm thinking of a once a week type of a deal since I don't have that many chapters posted. And instead of studying for econ, I will be writing tonight :D

Since this is _technically_ a new story...I guess, I'm not going to personally thank everyone, but just know that your reviews meant a lot to me, and I will continue the massive review paragraph next chapter! Thanks everyone for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it! If you have questions, comments, concerns, just leave me a review or PM (I really appreciate them :D)


	2. Truth and Lies

Let me start out by saying, HOLY CRAP. YOU GUYS ARE SO F-ING AWESOME. OH MY GOD. 69 reviews? (comedic jokes aside) THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. AH AH AH.

It's obvious that I did NOT expect to get anywhere NEAR 69 reviews for last chapter, but you guys, once again, prove me wrong (in the best of ways). Let me thank those wonderful reviewers (here we go...): _Death101-Fox Version, Ergo2u, Saiyan Queen, Person Who Loves This_ (multiple reviews :D Thanks!), _TheGlassAndEmberRing_, _artificialmasquerade, Taryn _(7? I thinks that's more than me...)_, Marie Fortune, grumpirah, merlincrazy, Black Diamond07, dyingdreamsv2, foot soldier _(yay I love your massively long reviews! I promise a better reply to the next one...I swear), _MeAgain, WinryCherry101, TheDeadlyColera, bvprincess23, Onba, ZombieChick422, MK08, Karie, menga88 _(...yeah, 12 is when DBZ starts up again. you could imagine her at 25, I guess!)_, Volleys-chan, ZapZapYotsuba, MrSuperSaiyan, darja from germany hamburg, sandwich-chan, Kreion, Rachel Baldson, rantichan, The0Blind0Writer, YES, Many Voices In My Head, YukiraKing, Adwoax3, itzPonyobitchez, Cara2012, keira-kyuketsuki, Bvprinces23 (_again! than you :D), _Duncan Luva, Angeles, koii, AngelZ Of Darkness, KashiMeshi _(I would have cracked! too busy D:)_, ScoobyDoobyDee, Crystale no otaku, _appelpie33, _yeyeyeyeyye_, _Naughty Cat, Tenaciousmew, Merely-A-Victim, tetisheri, Shirokame _(:D I'm honored! Truly!)_, SenzuuBeanss, Gan Aurora, Linneh, Jaylee-Rebel, PinkPrincess511, secretsmile0, Shivana, Miss Tis (_Konbanwa (again!), and no apologies! I'm just glad people do review...), _Dazzler303, kickstartmyhart, AkurnaSkulblaka, _and _Kiwi._

Also thanks to _bvprincess23_ and _Volleys-chan_ for adding this story to their communities :D _  
_

You are all wonderful. Seriously. I am floored.

I understand that many of you are concerned about Gohan and Piccolo. Let me just say that, Piccolo has died before! He's just dying a little _sooner_ in mine. Main concern should really be that Goku _didn't_ die. Also, Gohan was my absolute favorite character when I was little, probably because I watched the Cell Saga in Japanese over and over again and he was so INCREDIBLY AWESOME. That should give you some hope that I will absolutely _not_ ruin his character. I love him too much for that.

Oh! I also wanted to say because of your MASSIVE amount of reviews, I really did want to update this thing sooner. But econ midterms had other plans for me. I just don't want you guys to think you're reviewing for nothing! I read each review and love them all. So thanks again so much for your overwhelming awesomeness.

Disclaimer: I don't own DB/DBZ/DBGT. Which may be for the best. There's be too much love in it if I did.

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_Truth and Lies_

"I still think we should have headed to Earth ourselves, Vegeta."

He ignored his subordinates droning complaints. There would be no need to make such an excessively long trip. Twelve months sitting in a space ship was not his idea of time well spent, time he could be training or purging worlds. Raditz was lucky to have a newer pod than the rest of him, cutting his trip to only a month there and back. Vegeta folded his arms across his chest, his chin slightly rising as the space pod opened at the landing bay.

It had been quite a change, moving from the space station to a more _permanent_ location on one of Frieza's planets. They were only a month away from Namek here, from the useless green planet with those peace loving Namekians and three suns. It was such a small planet that it was deemed worthless to Frieza and the Planet Trade Organization. _Now all I need is an excuse to leave_.

There was slight escape of gas as the pod opened, and Raditz stepped out, holding a small boy in some strange yellow and green getup. "What the fuck is that, Raditz?" Vegeta's tone immediately became frustrated, "I thought you were going to retrieve Kakarot, not some useless boy!"

Raditz didn't say anything, but he turned the boy around, holding him by the collar. The brown, furry tail unraveled behind him and caused Vegeta's eyes to narrow. "...A Saiyan...but how?"

"My brother procreated with an Earthling." Raditz cradled the boy over his shoulder, eyeing his prince's disgusted appearance in confusion, "Surely you can understand the attraction, Prince Vegeta?"

Vegeta simply growled in response.

"So that bitch is alive, isn't she?" Nappa stepped up and examined the tail before nodding, "Is the kid hers?"

Vegeta's dark eyes immediately flashed to the older Saiyan, "What are you implying?"

"She knew Kakarot, didn't she? And she had experience seducing Saiyans. I wouldn't be surprised."

There was a low growl of possessiveness lingering in his chest. "Stop your bullshit, Nappa. He doesn't look anything like her."

"Actually, that might make sense." Raditz looked at his shoulder to his nephew, "She was willing to make the deal to ensure his protection. And she did run over to my brother as soon as I got back to the pod. I understand that could be behavior of a mate?" The young Saiyan looked to Nappa for confirmation, but the bald man just grunted, not releasing any more information.

_What idiots!_ Vegeta grabbed the boy from off of Raditz's shoulder. The four year old was still in a catatonic state, the hibernation effects obviously strong on his little body. "He smells nothing like her."

"He smells like a Saiyan, Vegeta. The scent is overwhelming. And it's been over ten years since you've even smelled her, how would you know?"

Vegeta tossed the boy back to Raditz's arms, and turned back to the older Saiyan. "Do not doubt me, Nappa. The boy does not smell like her but..." He let the information roll around in his head. She knew Kakarot when they were both young and even defended him to Vegeta on occasion...if he remembered correctly. _Who cares about the stupid bitch anyway?_ The prince looked at the boy with a weird sense of disgust. "Where are you keeping the brat?"

"He's my nephew, Vegeta." Raditz scratched his head, long hair becoming tangled in his rough hands, "I was going to keep him in my room and train him at the same time."

"Fine." He was just glad the third class didn't expect him to take the brat. "How were you able to convince Frieza to let you go to Earth anyway, Raditz?" Vegeta needed to start building his stock pile of excuses to feed to the alien overlord.

"The same way I got reassigned to work with you two." The young Saiyan shrugged, "Killed a whole lot of my partners and left."

It was true that the third class Saiyan had been considered bad luck for a while. The constant beatings he had received from Zarbon for not retrieving his 'precious cargo' had earned Raditz near death experiences for five years, and a well earned spike to his power level. It was close to Nappa's now, something the Saiyan Prince had once thought impossible. No way had he thought any third class would come even _close_ to an elite Saiyan's level. But Raditz had strangely proved him wrong. He was assigned missions with the other weak Frieza lackeys, only to have them _accidentally_ descend into pitfalls. It was a strange way to reach his objective of working with the Saiyan Prince, but Vegeta had to admit that it did work. _Perhaps Frieza was thinking that with his bad luck I'd be dead as well. _

He was still the beast's favorite pet monkey, maybe even more so than before. 12 years ago he had returned a madman, practically feral. There was no mission dangerous enough, no world challenging enough that he wouldn't slowly destroy. Raditz had said that the girl left him even more hollow, but Nappa disagreed and claimed that he had completed his final rite of passage into Saiyan manhood. It was not traditional for a Saiyan male to have a mate and kill them, oh no, but according to Nappa, in this perverse version of Saiyan culture, it was the only way they could truly grow.

Saiyans don't mate for love. They mate for opportunity, for evolution. The strongest find the strongest, the weak the weak, all for the benefit of an ultimate gene pool. That was how it started. That was how they got their present caste system of the elite and the lower classes of Saiyan hierarchy. The royal bloodline was fueled by a special brand of elite Saiyans, founded under years of natural selection and opportunity. There was a brief period when Saiyans became entirely monogamist, but Nappa claimed those times were dead, lost with the grand cities and palaces of his race. Dead at Frieza's hands.

Bulma had done her job of keeping him occupied through the most hormonal times. And when he had no use for her, he had gotten rid of her, like he was expected to. The opportunity had left, the purpose was gone. Future opportunities arose over the next 12 years, and he took them, at first with reluctance and much needed assurance from Nappa, but now more and more shamelessly. They were never forced or convinced. The female species easily threw themselves at him for whatever twisted reason. Precautions were made to prevent breeding in the version of a simple pill. All of Frieza's soldiers carried them, and all were expected them to be used. It became routine, senseless, emotionless. And Vegeta wouldn't have it any other way.

He tried to convince himself of the false memory, but the news Raditz carried forced the truth back into his skull. He _hadn't_ gotten rid of Bulma, even though he had tried to convince Nappa and Raditz that it was under his convincing that she had left. But the truth was she had just disappeared. _Better off. _

Vegeta had lost his focus when she was with him, lost his overall purpose of sending Frieza to the shadowy depths of Hell. But who knew that her escape may have been the answer he had been looking for all this time? "Keep him safe, Raditz. He is your son now, got it? You knocked up some worthless woman on some purging mission and this was your reward." Vegeta paused before looking at the sleeping boy more carefully, "What's the brat's name?"

"Kakarot called him Gohan, though it's not Saiyan appropriate."

"Let him keep it." Both Saiyans were surprised by Vegeta's remark. "It shows that we didn't know about him until recently. They'll find it curious if he has a more Saiyan name."

Raditz nodded, "Yes, Vegeta." He started off back into the main headquarters on this particular planet, but then turned around, "Want me to let you know when he wakes up, Vegeta? He may have more information about the dragon balls."

Though he doubted the extensive knowledge some toddler half breed would have of a Namekian device, Vegeta nodded. He needed more clarification, and he doubted Raditz would have been smart enough to collect more from Bulma. _The girl..._ His thoughts twisted back to her. Her hair in her ponytail, her short dresses with her name across, and that sweet, innocent smile. She had left him brutally alone so suddenly. How did Raditz easily find her with his little day trip to Earth? How the fuck did she get back there in the first place?

There was a part of him that would count down the days until he saw her again, he fully admitted that to himself. He would watch her eagerly approach him, those bizarre blue eyes wide, and soft lips grinning in some sort of naïve smile. He knew he wanted to see her face again, her lithe body and smooth hair. He was certain that he wanted to hear her voice say his name in either a gentle, velvety whisper or a rushed, groaning shout. He was only uncertain about how he was going to kill her.

* * *

She approached the small house reluctantly, trying to smooth out her blood stained blue tube top. With one slight motion, she turned her head back to face Krillin, who held Goku carefully over his shoulder. Bulma had wanted to take him straight to a hospital in West City, but Krillin said that Chichi might refuse such treatment. He had pointed out that Goku probably had never been to a doctor before, not with his upbringing, and now that they knew he was some sort of alien, who knows what the doctors might find or do to him.

"This is a stupid idea, Krillin. I have private doctors, you know." She turned her sadness and worry towards Goku into sheer anger, still heavily reluctant to knock on the door. "She's going to be mad looking at him like that and seeing that we _didn't_ bring him."

"I don't think she's really going to care about Goku when you tell her about Gohan."

She gulped at that. Bulma promised Krillin she would let Mrs. Son know about Gohan's kidnapping under Bulma's discretion. Bulma raised her hand over the wooden door, softly knocking and praying that Chichi was not the martial artist she used to be.

Krillin grunted at the lack of an answer and readjusted the unconscious Goku on his back, "We should just go to Korin's and get some Senzu beans."

"Well, you can go fly there I guess. I can't get on that stupid cloud!" Bulma gulped and immediately lowered her voice as the wooden door opened, revealing Chichi with her black hair up and wearing a very traditional looking dress.

The younger woman looked at Bulma's bloody appearance, and just her sudden appearance in general, with wide eyed shock before speaking. "Bu-Bulma? What happened?" Her dark eyes seemed furious when she caught Goku's immobile form on Krillin's shoulder. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HUSBAND?"

Her voice was gritty, but Bulma maintained her ground. She grew up around some of the best fighters in the world. There was no way she was going to start cowering in front of _Chichi_ of all people. "Chichi...we have a lot to tell you, if we could just go..."

"Oh no, you don't!" Chichi raised a hand, making both Bulma and Krillin inch backwards. "I knew this reunion thing would be a bad idea. Gohan is supposed to grow up to be a scholar. He's supposed to be studying! Not being introduced and roped into your mishap adventures!"

Bulma had the urge to remind Chichi that the only reason she had met Goku was because of their 'mishap adventures', but she bit back her tongue. If someone was coming back with Yamcha bloodied and bruised on her doorstep, she doubted she would be in the best of moods. Actually, considering what the douchebag had done to her recently, she probably would have given Raditz a medal. "If we could just go inside Chichi, we can explain what happened. Goku really needs to see a doctor."

"Fine bring him! Where's Gohan?" She walked out of her house, passed her unconscious husband and glancing around the outskirts of Mt. Paozu, "Gohan?" Chichi raised a hand to her mouth to funnel her voice, but seeing that her little boy was nowhere in sight, her body became perfectly livid. Her teeth clenched together in tight anxiety and she whipped around to face Bulma, "WHERE'S MY LITTLE BOY?"

She was a little surprised by Chichi's simple dismissal of Goku's injuries. _I guess Goku does have a knack of getting into trouble. _Bulma let out a sigh, not looking forward from the impending lecture from the younger woman. And, if she had to be honest with herself, she was stalling. Krillin was shivering behind her, "I'll...I'll go to a hospital," and then flew back into the sky, Goku in tow, and leaving the two women alone.

_I wonder if my dad would think of sending anyone to look for me here. _Bulma had no doubt that Chichi would kill her when she told her, just like any other mother she supposed. The blue haired scientist never really intended on having children of her own, not with her work schedule and lack of responsibility. They were messy and loud and not to mention time consumers. She was still young and needed this time to _live_, go out and have fun. It startled her to think that Chichi was four years younger than her. The black haired woman acted so much older, standing there in her conservative garb and shouting her head off like a tensed old maid. "He better not be enrolled in that Kame school! My father and husband are already fighters! My little boy is going to grow and be a respectable citizen, you hear me Bulma Briefs?"

Bulma's patience was waning, "Chichi, calm down! He's not enrolled in some stupid martial arts school!" Her exasperated smile faded, realizing the truth was actually much worse.

"He's not?" Chichi's voice lowered and she look suddenly completely lost. "Then...where is he? Is he okay, Bulma? Nothing happened to him, right?"

It was then Bulma realized that for all of Chichi's sudden yelling, she was just really concerned about her only son and child. The image of the little black haired boy, pounding on the inner glass of the space pod made Bulma inwardly cringe, blood frozen. Tears were welling in the little boy's eyes, falling like rain drops on a window pane. He was so tiny, so afraid. And Bulma practically signed his death certificate. "He's..." How was she supposed to tell her that? _He was taken by an alien. Your husband is an alien. Don't worry though, because I knew this man, kind of sort of, 12 years ago. Trust me, Chichi, because I know how much you like me already._ "He's...alright."

Chichi wasn't really expecting the answer to be any different, but she did want clarification. "Then where is he?"

"At Capsule Corp," Bulma muttered, "With my father. We started a new...um, toddler scholarship program at Capsule Corp. Gohan seemed so bright that I immediately sent him over for an interview with some of the representatives. If all goes well, he'll be directly enrolled in our pre-kindergarten educational program." The lie tasted so incredibly ridiculous on Bulma's lips, "It's about 18 months long. But he's guaranteed admission to any of the top prep schools in the world. Guaranteed."

18 months would be plenty of time to retrieve Gohan and hopefully teach him some algebra to impress his mommy. _Please don't let him be as dense as Goku_. Bulma swallowed the last bit of her lie, scanning her last sentences for any holes, "It's a really good program, Chichi. Of course, it means lack of contact from the outside world...almost like a think tank setup, you get the idea. I could always call my father if you don't want Gohan to go." She brought out her cell phone for good measure, but her fingers were shaking as her eyes patiently waited for Chichi's reaction. "What do you say?"

She squeaked a little at the sudden embrace, and her cell phone fell out of her shaky grasp, clattering against the floor, battery falling out. Chichi's arms brought her into a tight hug, and Bulma blinked feeling wet tears fall on her shoulder, "Oh thank you, Bulma!" The younger woman sniffled in their embrace, "It's so hard to find a good school out here, and with my lazy husband, I can't afford to hire Gohan a tutor!"

Again, her stupid tongue wanted to remind Chichi that Gohan was only four years old, but Bulma bit down, "Don't worry about it. He's a really smart kid." She patted Chichi's back gently. "How about I call Krillin and see what hospital Goku is in?"

Chichi lifted her head up at the mention of her husband. "What happened to him, Bulma? I thought maybe the guys would spar, but Goku shouldn't have been hurt. Did Piccolo do this?"

Bulma shook her head, "I think it might be better if you wait for your husband to wake up and explain Chichi." She gave a reassuring smile, seeing the worry finally form on Chichi's face, "Hey, but don't worry! Goku's always had a hard head. He'll be fine! I'll call Krillin right now and we can take a Capsule plane over."

She slowly let loose of Chichi, who speedily wiped her tears and went back into her house to grab her purse. At the younger woman's disappearance and acceptance, Bulma sighed with relief and picked up her phone. Bulma quickly left a message for the still aerial Krillin, explaining her lie and telling him which doctor to ask for when he brought the newly recognized Saiyan to the hospital.

* * *

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, wholeheartedly annoyed at Raditz's sudden entrance into his room. The metal door clanged with authority as the young, taller Saiyan leaned up against it, panting and looking absolutely mortified. "What do you want, Raditz?" Vegeta paused mid-push up and straightened his back. "Surely you can survive without being in my presence for an hour."

"Ha, ha, Vegeta. It's about the boy."

Vegeta groaned, suddenly incredibly bored instead of curious. "What of him?"

"He won't shut up."

"Then rip out his tongue."

Raditz suddenly became defensive. "He's my family, Vegeta!"

At that, the Saiyan Prince stood up, crossing his arms across his tight, spandex uniform. "You say that like it matters."

"It does. He's one of the last of our kind. I don't want to abandon him so easily. He could be an asset to us in the future."

The future. The future of _what_? He had resented the fact that Raditz had brought the brat back here. How could he think that being under the torturous hand of Frieza would be beneficial for the kid? He was more idiotic than he thought. Vegeta doubted that Raditz had the foresight to actually think that this would be a bargain chip, the trade they needed to gain the Namekian device.

Raditz claimed that she had called them dragon balls. _Ridiculous name_. His mind was initially plagued with rather twisted and disgusting images of genitalia, but the thought didn't last long. The girl had claimed it was those things that let her escape. That was the reason to why she had abandoned him twelve years ago, leaving him under the immutable wrath of the asshole Zarbon and back into Frieza's cold, relentless clutches. It was a pain in his heart that he long ago suppressed. Nappa claimed that the experience had done him good. He was training more, purging more, relishing in the sheer, immeasurable moment of an enemy's defeat. _That_, the older Saiyan would claim, was the only shit that ever mattered. Worthless females were just that. Worthless.

He had a growing curiousity of her existence, however, for mainly two reasons. One, was if she were actually telling the truth, than these Namekian balls could be the key to one thing he actually desired-immortality. They could grant them the secret to defeating Frieza, the freedom he had craved since he was a toddler. He could earn the pride of his race back. He would finally be free to be the prince he was, no slimy mouthed aliens saying anything to stop him. The universe would be kneeling at his feet.

This was kept hidden from Nappa, of course. The bald Saiyan could not be trusted to maintain loyalty, even to his prince. He would easily blab to the demonic white and purple lizard if the reward of blood was promising enough. Vegeta did find Raditz to be more willing with the idea of Frieza's death. With the knowledge of Vegeta-sei's destruction by Frieza's own attack, the third class Saiyan had grown carelessly rebellious. There were no formal breaches of insubordination, but there were multiple occasions were Raditz would purposely go above and beyond on missions he wasn't even supposed to survive on. Just to rub it into the icy demon's face that Saiyans were not so easily subdued. Plus, there was that whole killing his comrades thing. That sort of 'luck' does not go unnoticed.

Raditz's anger was passionate, blazing with young Saiyan fury. But the dumb oaf was just too careless. He would be left in the dark on the plan's intricacies. All he needed to know was that Frieza would die and that he may have a part in it one day. That day seemed to have come. Vegeta had obtained Earth's coordinates so that Raditz could scrounge up his long lost younger brother, with the one promise that he wouldn't blast the world to bits or go on a killing spree. That, however, turned into a complete failure. Instead of coming back with a warrior, Raditz brought his prince a toddler. A whiny, half breed, child. The utter fail of the mission made Vegeta have to constantly suppress the urge to punch Raditz in the gut.

Number two was a little more personal, a much more different flavor of revenge. His empty feeling of abandonment and betrayal during that awkward and incredibly idiotic phase of his life made him yearn for blood. _Her_ blood. He was not one to be manipulated, to be baited around like a child handed candy. Frieza had made him a slave, and that Bulma creature had been no better. She had earned his trust for her own survival, promising the one thing he desired most, only to have her shove it away just when he thought he could fully trust her. But trust was a thing learned by the weak and forgotten by the strong. He wouldn't allow himself to make such a treacherous error again. _Fuck my teenage hormones. _

"I will speak to the boy," Vegeta coolly decided while placing on his white and gold armor. "It's possible he does know something about the dragon balls. Plus, he should learn how to respect his prince." He said the last part with a sneer before following Raditz back to the third class Saiyan's room.

He saw the little boy bawling in the corner, his tail wrapped around him like a thin, furry security blanket. His dress confused him, yellow tunic and green pants with some sort of ridiculous combination of red streaks on the front. The vibrant colors starkly contrasted with the clean white and silver walls of the sleeping quarters. Vegeta took a small step forward, and the boy immediately shuddered, cowering his head into his arms. The Saiyan Prince held a satisfied smirk. _At least he knows who to fear. _

But that fear would be a sign of weakness. It needed to be sucked out of him, like fresh venom from a burning wound. "Get up."

The boy just continued to shiver at the deep, resounding voice. Vegeta couldn't take the sniveling. He grabbed the boy by the tail, earning a tear wrenching scream. "SHUT UP!"

The small boy bit down on his lips, but the tears still welled, threatening to fall any second.

Vegeta was satisfied with the refrained silence, for now. He tossed the boy on Raditz's small cot, and the boy immediately fumbled with himself and dragged his knees into his chest. The prince paced across the room, arms crossed, but dark gaze singularly focused on the half breed Saiyan. "You will find that crying and begging for your weakling mother will get you nowhere, boy."

The tiny half-Saiyan actually lifted up his head, tears slightly streaming. "...Where's my daddy?"

Vegeta scoffed, "Your father is a failure Saiyan warrior from what I hear. I don't give a rat's ass about where he is. We are here to teach you the true nature of your heritage, unlock your full potential." He stopped walking directly in front of the boy, "The diluted nature of your blood will be no excuse. You will work hard. You will listen to mine and Raditz's words as if they were law, understand boy? We are not to be disobeyed or double crossed or I will purposely make sure your precious 'daddy' will never see your face again." He flashed his incisors, "Do I make myself clear?"

Gohan, although flustered and petrified, managed to nod his head in slight dignity. His small, pale hands clumsily held himself upright after he tried to wipe a large piece of yellow snot hanging from his nose. "Yes...sir."

Vegeta's grin heightened at the easily obtained respect. "Good. If you have any questions, ask them now."

"...did that bad man hurt my family?"

Vegeta turned back to Raditz, who was scratching his head, almost guiltily. _Pathetic._ "That 'bad man' over there _is _your family. So you better fucking get used to it." The boy cringed at the curse word, and Vegeta narrowed his eyes at how incredibly sheltered this child was. "How old are you, brat?"

"This many..." He held up four fingers, and paused, anticipating the coos of satisfaction people normally made at his ability to count. But Vegeta barely blinked.

_I was only one year older when my whole planet was destroyed. _ He flashed a look at Raditz, who had been even younger. This child had the pleasantry of growing up in four years in peace on Earth. He would lose that protective shell here on Frieza's planet. Here he would grow up to be a true fighter. "Anything else?"

The four year old continued to snivel, that piece of yellow snot falling off his nose in a more obvious fashion. It annoyed Vegeta to no end, and he quickly went to Radit'z black smooth dresser, pulling out a pair of boxers and handing it to the half-Saiyan. "Use this."

"...thank you."

"Hmph." Vegeta ignored the slight disgruntled murmuring of the boy's uncle.

Gohan blew his nose profusely and then looked back to Vegeta, wide eyed. "...Who are you, mister?"

"Your prince." Vegeta smirked at the little boy's reaction. Gohan looked at him, gasping in pure wonderment, and Vegeta continued, "And now you will answer my question, boy."

"Sure, mister prince, sir."

Vegeta bent down, resting his elbows on his knees as he became eye level with the boy. "What do you know about the dragon balls?"

* * *

A/N:

Well...you couldn't expect Vegeta to think nicely of Bulma after _Make A Wish_, could you? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Nap time for me :D


	3. Plan B

A/N:

One week later! As promised. I need to stop being so incredibly busy D: sorry! But Spring Break is almost here, which means I will _finally_ have time to write again (super excited yay!). Umm, oh yeah. Have I mentioned how incredibly wonderful all of you are? No? Well it's true. Over 100 reviews? With 2 chapters? Insanity, I say! I am so grateful to all of you :D

Special thanks to: _Shirokame, ZombieChick422, Tenaciousmew, artificialmasquerade, Saiyan Queen, merlincrazy, Person who loves this, Cara2012, TheDeadlyColera, Many Voices In My Head, Winrycherry101, menga88, JJ, The Azu Soul Lilly, AngelZ Of Darkness, Linneh _(yeah...I'm not too fond of that either. but i found it to be the most realistic take, especially because i played up his hormones in the prequel)_, Greendragonsheart, laurena124, Onba, miscellaneousSam, Black Diamond07 _(Happy Mardi Gras!)_, Death101-Fox Version, dyingdreamsv2, MK08, Jaylee-Rebel, Me Again _(SSJ Goku is on your side D: unfair)_, bvprincess23 _(haha, you're lucky!_), Dazzler303, Gan Aurora, koii, TheGlassAndEmberRing, Girness, SobakasuAshura _(aka _ZapZapYotsuba_ :D), _Duncan Luva, Shivana, ZammyNox, vegetalover, dolce-bebe, _and _Bulma And Vegeta Forever_ (Twice :D double thanks!). AHH. thanks guys :D you make me smile.

Let me just preface this chapter by saying that I absolutely adore Gohan. That is all.

Disclaimer: I DON'T DBZ. D:

* * *

_Plan B_

Chichi was practically sprinting through the hospital wings, flying passed nurses and stretchers and poor unknowing patients. _Well at least she isn't screaming_. Bulma casually walked by, only pausing when a few doctors offered to check out the wound she had on her chest. "Not a wound. Just blood. I got it." She waved them off and continued on to room 478E.

Krillin was waiting outside, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed to leave his best friend and Chichi alone. At the sight of Bulma, he immediately sat up straight, "Don't worry. I told him about your little 'preschool program'." Krillin sniffed, "He thought it was the best lie he ever heard."

_...Of course he would_. Bulma sighed and ran her fingers through her hair nervously, "He isn't mad at me? For letting Gohan go?"

"What could he expect you to do Bulma? Charm your way to the alien's heart?"

She groaned and crossed her arms, "Don't make it sound so impossible..."

"Look, we both know you were only doing what you thought was best for the Earth. Who knows what a guy with that kind of power could do to us." Krillin's gaze suddenly became very focused, "What I want to know is how the heck you _knew_ that guy, Bulma. You seemed to know everything about him."

"No way! I don't know what you're talking about, Krillin."

"You called him Raditz, Bulma. We never told you that."

_Crap._ He was looking at her seriously know, eyebrows pointed in confusion and slight doubt. How could she possibly explain how she knew Raditz? That for a year of her life she had lived with Saiyans? She would have to explain Vegeta. How could she ever explain Vegeta? How could she reface the fact that she left him there, rotting away on Karbos? That his life was even more of a living Hell after he got back to Frieza? That the stupid space lizard was the only reason why she hadn't wished the prince back with her a year later?

Oh, Yamcha would have _loved_ to hear about that one. ...But since when did she give a shit about Yamcha anymore?

"It was a long time ago, Krillin, before I knew you. It was the first wish I made to the dragon balls."

Krillin raised an eyebrow, "You made a wish to meet that guy? _Why?_"

"I didn't wish to meet Raditz you idiot!" She waved her hands, exasperated that he was interrupting something she wasn't even fully comfortable with saying. When she remembered her actual wish, her mind fell flat. It sounded so stupid now. Krillin would forever make fun of her for being some desperate, hormonally driven girl. "I...I don't remember the exact wish, but it brought me to this weird place in outer space. I met a lot of people there."

"Including Raditz?"

"Yeah..."

"But you knew he was Goku's brother right away, Bulma. You knew that Goku was an alien this whole time?"

It was her turn to look at him strangely. "Didn't you? I mean, the boy had a _tail_ and could turn into a giant ape during the full moon. You weren't the least bit suspicious that he wasn't human?"

"YOU'RE WHAT?"

Both Krillin and Bulma immediately steered their attention back into the hospital room, where a heavily bandaged Goku was blinking rapidly over Chichi's somewhat fainted body. The woman was slumped into a chair, looking half shocked and half angry. "Chichi...it's really not too big of a deal. If anything it explains a lot of stuff, don't you think?" Goku scratched his head, laughing at himself. "I mean, maybe this explains my strength and Gohan's tail. And hey! I bet all these Saiyan guys eat a lot too!"

Krillin looked back to Bulma, "Well do they?"

That question gathered the attention of every one nearby. Chichi and Goku looked at Krillin and then to Bulma, bewildered. "Um..."

Goku blinked, "Bulma, you said you knew him, didn't you?"

"You mean, Raditz?" She walked into the hospital room, inching away from Chichi, who didn't seem too happy at all. "I do know him."

"You know that bastard that beat up my husband?" Chichi stood up again, "How?"

Bulma shrugged, "Just some stupid incident that happened when I was a teenager. It was a wish I made to the dragon balls."

"Ohhh, I get it!" Goku grinned. "He's your perfect boyfriend!"

Bulma froze, the gazes of Krillin and Chichi making her feel completely embarrassed.

"...You wished for the perfect boyfriend?" Krillin stammered, practically laughing already.

"Well...I..."

"AND YOU GOT RADITZ? HAHAHA!" Krillin was rolling on the floor, holding his stomach in painful bouts of laughter. "Oh yeah! What a nice guy! I'm sure he'll buy you flowers right after he murders all your friends!"

Goku shrugged, but then flinched from the pain in his back. "Well, I can't blame her completely. There _is_ a family resemblance. But it was a good wish after all. I could have been dead if Bulma hadn't met the guy before."

"But Piccolo died." Bulma didn't really understand the worry in her voice. She used to be terrified of Piccolo, but the actual reality of his death made her second guess that fear. He wasn't really a monster, not compared to Jeice or Frieza or even Vegeta on a bad day.

"That monster? Should we be sorry?" Chichi walked over to her husband, fluffing his pillow, "We should just be happy my little Gohan was sent away before his homicidal uncle came by."

"Haha, yeah Chichi." Krillin scratched his head awkwardly, "But no Piccolo means no dragon balls. Unless that guy was right about the Name-whatever."

Goku raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"

"It was after you were unconscious, Goku. Your brother mentioned something about Namekians being connected to the dragon balls, since Piccolo and Kami are connected to the ones here." Bulma sat down next to her friend, "I agreed to go to Namek in a year in order to...set things right."

"What are you talking about, Bulma?" Chichi asked.

"Namek's some other planet out there, and I need to solve some personal issues...um...perfect boyfriend issues." She didn't really want to admit that a part of her wanted to see Vegeta, but she wasn't about to tell Chichi that she needed to save her son on some alien planet.

"I'll go with you!" Goku immediately hollered, as expected. Krillin had most likely informed him already about Gohan, and even if his son wasn't being held captive, Bulma doubted her friend would ever turn down an adventure.

"Absolutely not, mister! With Gohan gone and then you, you expect me to just be in Mt. Paozu all by myself?" Chichi was practically hitting him with a pillow, "Well, I won't do it Son Goku. You are staying right here!"

Bulma placed a hand on her shoulder, "Chichi, I think it's really important that Goku comes with me. I don't know anything about Namek, and he is the strongest guy in the world."

"Can't you just bring Yamcha, Bulma?"

She fidgeted at the other woman's question. _Bring Yamcha...to meet Vegeta?_ She gulped. "We broke up."

"Gosh, sorry Bulma." Krillin patted her on the back. "Well, I'll definitely come with you. Just say when."

"Me too, Bulma." Goku reached for his wife's hand. "And I'm sure you and Yamcha will work it out. You guys always do."

"Thanks, Goku."

There was still one thing that bothered Bulma, besides the impending Saiyan reunion. It was great that her friends had agreed to come with her to Namek, but how the heck was she going to get there?

Krillin seemed to be thinking the same thing, "Too bad Kami was tied to Piccolo. If they're really those Namekian things, he'd probably have some idea where Namek is."

"He did."

All four of them turned to the hospital doorway, where a stout figure stood idly. Mr. Popo walked casually in, ignoring the surprised faces. "How are you Son Goku?"

"Been better." He cracked a smile, "Is Kami really gone, Mr. Popo?"

The genie nodded sadly, "He faded shortly after Piccolo did, but not before he explained his origin."

"Origin?" Bulma questioned.

"Yes. He explained to me that he has a ship here that can bring you all to Namek. Would you like to see it, Ms. Briefs?"

She nodded fervently, "Absolutely."

* * *

"Little bastard has some fight in him." Nappa chewed barbarically at the crude meal laid out in front of him. It was mostly a pile of meat, but the elite Saiyan ate it barely chewing.

Vegeta's eyes glanced upwards. He was strangely curious about the boy's progress, about how much a half breed Saiyan could actually learn. Raditz had successfully pawned the child off as his long lost bastard son, and Frieza's warriors treated him as such. It had been a month since Raditz brought the child 'home', but his appearance in the public among the Frieza compound was minimal.

The Saiyan Prince had yet to spar with the brat, but what he gathered from Nappa and Raditz was that Kakarot's offspring had some merit.

Raditz cracked a shoulder and then spoke, "It's only when you make fun of him though, or his heritage. He just seems to _snap_." Raditz shook his head as he bit down on a drumstick, "Today I told him his father was worthless and see what happened?" He raised one finger, pointing to the black and blue mark above his cheek.

Vegeta furrowed his eyebrows, "The little twerp did that?"

"Yeah, he could be a real...asset."

Vegeta caught Raditz's meaning. It was why he allowed the third class to go find his brother in the first place. They needed more men on their side. Nappa couldn't be trusted, and he would be damned to let anyone else other than a Saiyan know about his plans of ridding Frieza. This planet was swarming with slugs. The last thing he needed was to be back-stabbed.

"Prince Vegeta."

The slightly effeminate voice made him immediately tense. Vegeta turned his head sharply, eyeing Zarbon and Dodoria with equal looks of disdain. _Shit. _ Frieza's top henchmen were usually based with the lizard lord himself, and Frieza was _supposed_ to be scouting for new planets to sell. And their presence here usually meant bad news. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Friendly as ever, little Vegeta." Dodoria gave him a 'friendly' pat. "I was just lookin' for a nice little fight while Zarbon here talks to one of your men."

Vegeta knew he meant Raditz. They must have found out about Gohan, about his 'illegitimate child'. The prince gave Raditz a glance, who quickly pressed a button on his scouter. "Fine, Dodoria." Vegeta stood up from the dining hall table. He was never one to run away from fights, but now he looked forward to them. He would get his ass kicked. He would be sore and hurting until the sweat burned from running down his fragile skin. But inside, he'd be getting stronger. Dodoria's ass kicking would send the Saiyan Prince even closer to a higher power level. And once he was high enough, once he no longer had to worry about the repercussions of Frieza, the pink blob would just be a pink dead body. "Raditz, go ahead and talk to Zarbon."

The third class nodded grimly, not really looking forward to talking to the man that consistently beat him up for five years when he was only 15. But he relented, and the two Saiyans left the room.

"Uncle Vegeta!"

He cursed grimly at this plan. Yes, it was the best viable option. Gohan would hide in his room, and 'lower his ki', or whatever that meant, just in case Zarbon would go snooping about Raditz's or Nappa's less secured quarters.

There was an oversized green scouter hanging loosely over the boy's eye. "This thing is so cool! Uncle Raditz was sure nice to give it to me." His black eyes blinked, suddenly taking in the full Saiyan's appearance. "Vegeta, sir, are you okay?"

He didn't feel okay. He felt close to dying, which was exactly what he wanted. But Vegeta dragged himself across the room, letting the drips of red blood fall on the floor, making Gohan grimace slightly. The boy still had a lot to learn. He was still too soft, not wanting to fight or hurt anyone unless provoked. It had been easy to get the boy to trust them, even after Raditz's less than friendly introduction on Earth.

"_We're here to protect you from the real monsters, Gohan."_

_The little boy had blinked wildly at his uncle, fear still ridden in his eyes. "Bu-But you hurt my daddy. You're the real monster!"_

_Raditz sighed and patted Gohan's head. Vegeta had found it disgusting, his caring nature towards the boy. Why had the third class felt so attached? Was that their nature, a side effect of always working in large squadrons becase they were too damn weak to be left alone? Were third class Saiyans so damn thoughtful for their family, even if they were people they had only met two days before?_

_Raditz suddenly pointed to Vegeta suddenly, "See, Uncle Vegeta over there? He's a prince. He was supposed to be a great ruler one day, to follow in the footsteps of his father."_

_Vegeta had grunted. The last thing he wanted to be was anything like his disgraceful excuse for a father. But Raditz continued, "On our planet, your planet too, he was supposed to bring about prosperity and happiness for all of the Saiyans."_

_The child looked at Vegeta and then his uncle, perfectly wide eyed. _What a naïve little brat. _"Wha-what happened?"_

"_A bad man came and took over the planet, robbing Prince Vegeta of his throne and all of us a home. He destroyed our planet and killed our whole race."_

"_Except for my daddy."_

"_Yes, Kakarot, Nappa, Vegeta, and I are the only full blooded Saiyans left. I went to Earth to get your father to help us."_

_Gohan crinkled his nose, "You had a really weird way of asking. It wasn't very nice."_

_Raditz only nodded._

"_And you killed Piccolo. I know he was a bad man in the past, but people can change! He was only trying to help me."_

"_And I was only trying to help our people, Gohan." Raditz sighed. Vegeta was surprised how convincing this sob story actually sounded. "We need help to defeat the monster. We need _your_ help."_

_Gohan seemed to struggle with himself, but finally relented. "Alright...but you have to promise not to hurt anyone else! Otherwise you really are a bad man!"_

_Raditz chuckled but nodded, "I only intend on hurting the people that hurt me. Surely you can understand that."_

"_You have to leave my daddy and the Earth and my mommy alone, okay?" His black eyes were so big, so wanting to trust Raditz even though the Saiyan had knocked him unconscious. Vegeta curled a lip. How innocent, how naïve, how easy to trust. He supposed the young were always so stupid._

"_I promise, Gohan." Raditz held out his hand, and the little boy slowly took it. Raditz waited until he thought Vegeta was out of earshot as the Saiyan Prince finally retreated from the third class's quarters. "I always knew I had a little brother. But I never knew what it would feel like."_

_Vegeta growled. He was surrounded by pansies._

"Uncle Vegeta?"

Damn that nickname.

Gohan poked him in the ribs as he tried to relax on his bed. But the motion made him spasm slightly.

"Are you okay, Uncle Vegeta?"

"Do I _look_ okay, brat?"

The little boy didn't reply. He just sat on the floor, letting his tail swish back and forth. The silence would normally be welcomed, but for some reason, Vegeta re-initiated the conversation. "You got Raditz's signal?"

"Yeah! The scouter thing is really cool." He pressed a button, seeming to operate it perfectly. The thought made him wince a little. The little boy was smart. And from what Vegeta knew of Raditz, he doubted that intelligence was Kakarot's friend. Which would mean that Gohan had a smart mother, perhaps a _genius_ mother.

"You know how to work it pretty well."

"Well, it's not that difficult. Especially since Uncle Raditz taught me the basics. Is he okay?"

It hurt to nod, but Vegeta managed. "He's in much better shape than me."

"Can I ask you a question, Vegeta, sir?"

"No."

But Gohan did anyway. He had become accustomed to Vegeta's grumpy nature a little too quickly for the Saiyan Prince's liking. "Why do you want the dragon balls?"

"I thought _Uncle_ Raditz told you. We need them to defeat the monster."

"But what do you actually want from them? Because I was thinking we could maybe wish back Piccolo. I think it bothers Uncle Raditz that he had to kill him, and then the Earth's dragon balls would come back too!"

He would have sat up and sneered, but he just didn't have the energy, "First of all, I highly doubt Raditz feels guilty at all for killing the Namekian."

Gohan made a slight squeak, "And second of all?"

"Second of all, I don't care about the Earth's dragon balls. I just care about my wish." Vegeta sighed and rolled over to his side, wanting to welcome the darkness of sleep, "Anything else you want to ask, brat?"

"Yes, sir." Gohan paused, and Vegeta could hear the little boy scoot a little closer to Vegeta's bed. "Uncle Raditz said you used to have an Earthling. Whatever happened to her?"

To say the question threw him off guard would have been a huge understatement. The pang thundering in his skull from Dodoria's unrelenting punches suddenly moved to his chest. He felt cold sweat drip down the contours of his back, not knowing how to explain. "I don't know and I don't care." Vegeta closed his eyes, finally letting himself drift off into unconsciousness as the back of his mind wrestled with himself, trying to discern if only half of that statement was true.

* * *

He was seriously unrelenting. She had to convince her dad to get dogs or security bots or _something._ His incessant banging and hollering was absolutely ridiculous, and it was driving her completely insane. "Go away!"

"Please, Bulma. Just let me explain!"

"I don't want your stupid explanations, Yamcha!" This shouting through the front door thing was really straining her throat. "I just want you to _go away_."

"You know I won't do that."

She did. He wouldn't leave until she let him in. Oh sure, he never went as far as banging down the door to get her attention, but he remained there, sometimes for a whole day until her mother usually let him in. Was it so bad that sometimes she wished he did break down the door? That sometimes she wished his whining shrieks for apology were a little more demanding, a little more severe and passionate? Bulma shook her head. This recent bout with Saiyans was just confusing her. Did she really wish that Yamcha, right now, were Vegeta instead?

She had barely known the Saiyan Prince. He had been a tortured soul, a lost boy in a huge world that Bulma couldn't understand. He had been mysterious, powerful, and hot. Her teenage hormones and naïve brain looked passed the fact that he was a killer, passed the fact that he pretty much verbally abused her. How could she wish that Vegeta, a boy she barely knew, was Yamcha, her sweet boyfriend?

She practically cursed at the realization. If there was one thing Yamcha was, it was _not_ sweet. "Just go to Bethany's or Tiffany's or whoever's house, Yamcha! Do you know who I am? I could have men lining up the street to get a date with me! There's no way I need your sorry ass in my..."

The door suddenly swung open lightly, and Bulma sighed, remembering that Yamcha had a key. "It wasn't like that, Bulma."

She hadn't talked to him for a couple of weeks. He had tried to tell her the same spiel when Goku had been released from the hospital, but she wouldn't listen to him then, and she didn't want to listen to him now. But Yamcha had his hands on the doorframe, leaning on the edge with a soft smile on his face, "Please, Bulma."

"Fine." She turned around and walked into the house. Their relationship was so volatile, like a continuous time bomb. Neither of them was perfect. They would make mistakes that usually caused Bulma to yell and Yamcha to try and calm her down. _But what if I don't want to be calmed down?_ The thought was crazy, but Bulma couldn't help to find some truth to it. Perhaps they kept on breaking up because they didn't fight for what they had.

She sighed and fell flat on the couch. For a martial artist, Yamcha wasn't much of a fighter. He set down her red roses on the glass coffee table before sitting on the couch, a good distance away from her. "I went out with a woman that day. But I'm not interested in her."

Bulma narrowed an eyebrow, "Is that supposed to be an excuse?"

"No, no!" Yamcha raised his hands, "She's an agent...for baseball. I was just trying to get a sponsor, Bulma."

"So you slept with her?" That made her even more upset. It would be one thing if Yamcha just didn't love her anymore, but to claim that he was just doing it for _professional_ reasons? It was disgusting.

Yamcha sighed, "No, Bulma. I didn't sleep with her. I may have been a little too _flirty_ with her to try and get the sponsorship, but I didn't sleep with her. I would never cheat on you."

"Lie."

Yamcha frowned at the harsh word. It had been a long time before he fully understood the intricacies of a relationship. He was only 18 and some other girl had asked him on a date, which he agreed to. He didn't understand that going out to eat was a date. Bulma had done it with Goku all the time. But when Bulma happened to be at the same restaurant, she went ballistic, claiming that just because he grew up in the desert was no reason for his naivety. She had stubbornly forgiven him, years later, so it shocked him a little that she was bringing it up again now.

"Bulma..."

She shook her head. "Why should I believe you, Yamcha? How do I know you didn't?"

"Can't you trust me?"

But she couldn't. Why couldn't she? He was a hero, saved her life countless times, and she didn't believe him. She couldn't put that much faith in him, not when it came to loyalty. There was just something about Yamcha that was lacking in that department, and she couldn't really understand why.

Yamcha nodded, accepting his girlfriend's lack of a reply, "I didn't get the sponsorship. That should be your first clue."

"But...you're good at baseball."

"Yeah, but that doesn't really matter if you piss off the right people. I rejected her, right after she left underwear in my apartment. Please Bulma," He grabbed the red roses again, shoving it closer to her face. "Forgive me?"

She wanted to say no. She wanted to tell him that she didn't love him anymore, that he wasn't the right guy for her, but her brain couldn't think of any good reason why he wasn't. He had always been there for her. He had been an excellent boyfriend, but her thoughts kept nagging her about Vegeta. Why was she clinging to this past memory? It was almost a little perverted, thinking of a teenage boy so often, but she had to admit, she was mostly focusing on what he was like now, of the man he was today. But as she looked into Yamcha's eyes, she doubted herself. She didn't know what Vegeta was like now. She couldn't anticipate their reunion as some miraculous event, linking the two of them together, hearts burning, lips crushing together to never be separated again. _How delusional_.

No, she couldn't drop Yamcha for a memory. He was her boyfriend. And she needed to forgive him. She nodded slowly and placed a delicate kiss on his lips. Yamcha smiled and ran his hands in her hair softly, making Bulma's eyes close.

* * *

A/N:

I love Gohan :D If I had more time I'd totally write about baby Goten and Trunks (by baby, I mean child/chibi size). DARN YOU COLLEGE.

And this chapter title totally makes sense, I swear.

Let me know what you think :D


	4. Saiyan Lessons

A/N:

This week was not the best. I'll just leave it at that. this chapter was supposed to be longer, but I didn't have time to write the next section. I'm sorry.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! _TheGlassandEmberRing, ZombieChick422, Many Voices In My Head, Sayian Queen, Megan, Ayaka86, Black Diamond07, grumpirah, bvprincess23 _(This one's really late...), _Onba, The Azu Soul Lilly, Gindorf091, Greendragonsheart, Linneh, YukiraKing, WinryCherry101, Death101-Fox Version, Girness, The0Blind0Writer, MK08, merlincrazy, koii _(:D canonicity means a lot :D thanks!), _Duncan Luva, Bulma and Vegeta forever _(or Tessa :D), _dyingdreamsv2, SobakasuAshura, Cara2012, WildVegeta, Naughty Cat, dalejrgurl008, artificialmasquerade, dolce-bebe, Katie Loom_, _Jena08_, _gege, BloodyXan-Xan, _and _Renae724._

If you asked a question and I didn't answer it, I apologize in advance. I've just been so busy and sick and a boat load of things that I shouldn't complain about over the internet. If you have a question, I WILL answer it. Just remind me through review or PM. I'm going on spring break tomorrow (thank goodness), so I'll have so much more free time to do things I actually enjoy.

Disclaimer: Could I just borrow Dbz? For like a day maybe?

* * *

_Saiyan Lessons_

She seriously had to stop dreaming of him. It was becoming a little too weird, a little too obsessive. Though this one, she had to admit, was exceptionally better than her usual dreams. She couldn't see him clearly, just a short dark shadow with flame tipped hair. The air around her felt thick and was a hazy red. She immediately knew she was back on Karbos, the humid heavy air hitting her harshly even in this dream.

The wind picked up around her, hitting her white lab coat with red dust. Bulma walked forward, approaching the shadow slowly. There was no noise but the wind and the soft crusty sensation of her heels hitting the ground. He was still so unclear even when up close. She could make out the faint outline of his widow's peak, his pointed nose, his smirking grin, but the finer details were hazy.

"Vegeta..."Her hand unconsciously rose, gliding across the figure's upper arm and over his face, stopping on his wet lips. She took a step closer, her breath catching as she already began to feel his energy radiate around her. "Are you okay?"

The darkened figure made one decisive move, grabbing her wrists and crashing their bodies together. Her skin curled as hot waves of air escaped his lips and pressed on her neck. The energy around him was binding, pushing her flushed against his muscular frame. His warmth swallowed her whole, his energy like a vacuum, his presence a magnet. "Vegeta..." She ran her fingers through his coarse black hair, "I've...missed you."

_Buzz._

Her blue eyes flashed open, extremely annoyed at her alarm clock. Bulma groaned unhappily at her interrupted dream, but then felt the warmth of another body next to her. _What? It can't..._

And it wasn't. Her smile faded when she saw Yamcha, in a baseball shirt and loose shorts, curled up next to her on the bed. The alarm clock next to her continued to buzz, and Bulma hit it angrily, turning her disappointment into fury. _I shouldn't be disappointed. What am I thinking?_

She gave Yamcha's sleeping form a quick hug, trying to make herself feel less guilty, but it wasn't working. Only 10 months now. 10 months and she would launch Kami's spaceship to Namek. 10 months and she would see Vegeta again. But with the way her mind was subconsciously building up this moment, she only hoped that it wouldn't be a total let down. _Stop it! Stop Bulma Briefs! You took Yamcha back and you're still thinking about Vegeta!_

Bulma rolled out of bed, putting on her fuzzy slippers and robe before dragging her still tired body down the stairs. Boy did it really suck being Vice President of a globally acclaimed corporation. You would think that being one of the most influential women in the world would at least let her sleep until 8 am. But no such luck. At 6:30, the sun was barely rising. The air was still crisp and cool when she stepped out into the back patio, pulling out a cigarette from her bathrobe.

"Honey, you told me you were trying to quit!"

Her mother's high pitched lectures were exactly the last thing she wanted this morning. She dragged the cigarette coolly from her mouth, "I am. This is me trying."

"Now, now, Bulma. Your father already has that disgusting habit. I don't want my little girl to have it too." Mrs. Briefs held out her small hand, "Give it here."

She _was_ trying to quit, honestly! It didn't take a genius to figure out that cigarettes weren't healthy. Plus the vain side of her knew they would just make her look older in the long run. But she was having a rough morning, rough _month_ actually. "Yeah, you're right mom." She dropped the cigarette on the ground, burning her fuzzy slippers slightly when she extinguished it. Reluctantly, she handed over the pack from her pocket.

Her mother cocked her head to the side, "Bad dream, Bulma?"

_No. Good Dream. _"Yeah...I'm just nervous about Gohan."

"I'll make you an omelet and some coffee before you head out, okay?"

"Mom?" Her soft voice managed to stop her mother's retreating form. Mrs. Briefs turned back around, looking at her daughter with mild concern. Bulma shuffled her feet, a little embarrassed. "...Have you ever, um, idealized a memory before? Like...make something seem better than it actually was?"

The blonde held a finger to her chin, seemingly deep in thought. "If you want me to be honest, Bulma, I do that with your father all the time."

The young woman's blue eyes widened, "Um, what?"

"Don't get me wrong, sweetie! He's a wonderful husband and man, but when he's gone on those business trips of his, I just get so lonely without him. I always make him out to be _perfect_, but there's no such thing as perfection."

_No need to tell me._

Mrs. Briefs continued, "But there's a reason why we put Dr. Briefs, or Yamcha in your case, on such a high pedestal." She giggled to herself, not noticing her daughter's paling face. She grabbed Bulma's chin, squeezing it with surprising strength, "It's because we love them. Aw, sweetie! It's so great that you have Yamcha!"

"Mom!" She pushed her away, face growing red with embarrassment.

Mrs. Briefs frowned, "Sorry sweetie. But you can't stop a mother from being maternal! Isn't it about time you and Yamcha gave me some grandbabies?"

If her face could possibly get any redder it would have, "Mom, we're not even married."

Her mother just shrugged, "Doesn't stop people from having children, Bulma. Just think about it, okay? I'll go make you some coffee." Mrs. Briefs shot her daughter another smile before heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

He would never get used to this. He was used to the constant glances of fear gestured in his direction, but _this_, these kinds of looks he would never get be comfortable with. Frieza soldiers were practically giggling like little girls as the Saiyan Prince walked down the hall. Their hands quickly covered their mouths when Vegeta shot them a look of disdain, but he could still hear it, their trilling soft laughter following him through the corridor.

"Good morning! Hello there!"

And it was all because of the little brat.

"Hiya! My name's Gohan!" The toddler was excessively waving to every passerby. When Vegeta had told the annoying half breed to be fearless, he did not expect such an extreme change in the little boy's demeanor.

"Will you be quiet, brat?"

The little boy immediately frowned at Vegeta's harsh tone, "But Uncle Vegeta sir, my mom always said that if you want people to like you, you should be friendly towards them."

"These people are not worth being friendly too." Vegeta picked up his pace, causing the little boy to scoot along a little faster. The prince had to admit, although being a weakling half breed, Gohan looked almost presentable in his new Saiyan armor. Raditz had the gall to ask if he could wear Vegeta's royal armor, and the prince had to relent. _Either that or train him in yellow, moronic human clothes. _ He wouldn't dare ask Frieza for child sized armor, that was just asking for attention. And besides, there was something satisfying about seeing the seal of Vegeta-sei being worn again, the small red crest residing right over Gohan's chest. "You are not to speak to anyone, Gohan."

"Yes, sir."

Vegeta stopped suddenly, causing Gohan to bump into his legs as the toddler trailed behind him. He suppressed a light growl and plugged in the code to the training center. "Remind me how that idiot convinced me to train you."

"Umm..." Gohan looked a little confused, "If by idiot you mean Uncle Raditz...I mean _Daddy _Raditz, he said something about how I have a lot of untapped potential! Like what my mom says when she tries to teach me math!"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Your mother sounds horrifying." Though to be honest, he still wasn't too sure who Gohan's mother was. _Could Kakarot have mated with Bulma? _ The thought was completely vile.

"She's not! She just doesn't want me to be a fighter. She says real responsible people use their heads."

Vegeta snorted, "And fighters don't?" He led the boy into the stark, large room. His deep voiced echoed against the spherical metal walls as he turned to face Gohan, "Raditz and Nappa may not be the best examples, but a true Saiyan warrior uses his mind as much as he does his ki." Vegeta blinked at Gohan's seemingly dumbfounded expression, "You do know what ki is, don't you?"

"Course I do! My dad's an expert on that stuff. He taught me how to sense ki a long time ago, just in case mom or him needed..."

"Sense ki?" Vegeta bent down, becoming eye level with Gohan, "What do you mean 'sense ki', boy? I'm talking about energy blasts.' He produced a small blue light from his hand.

"No, I know about that too!" Gohan sighed, "Though I can't exactly do that yet...or fly. Nimbus does that for me!"

Vegeta ignored the excess rambling, "Then what did you mean that Kakarot can sense ki?"

"Well, my _real_ dad can detect when people are coming by reading their ki signatures. He told me that everyone, even mom whose ki is kind of weak, produces a different energy signature. And if you concentrate super hard, you can detect and recognize the signal."

The Saiyan Prince raised an eyebrow, "And you can do such an ability?" His mind was racing with the possibilities. Sensing ki would mean no more scouters. No more scouters meant no trackers, no unintentional communication with Frieza. His faith that Bulma had actually done him a favor and disabled his tracker died the second she left. "Prove it."

Gohan shrugged, "Okay Uncle Vegeta! This will be fun!" He placed a hand over his eyes. "Stay on the ground though! I can't fly yet!"

_What has Raditz been doing these past weeks?_

"Alright brat." Vegeta swiftly vanished to the far side of the room, and to his surprise Gohan immediately turned towards him, waddling over on his tiny, chubby legs.

"Found you!" He pointed straight at the prince's face.

_Impossible._

Gohan opened his eyes, "You're not even suppressing your power level, Uncle Vegeta. It's a little too easy when you don't do that!"

Vegeta gritted his teeth. _He_ was supposed to be teaching the half breed brat of a traitor Saiyan to fight, _not_ the other way around. "What?"

"Like this!" The little boy took a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders and limbs. "See? Check the scouter!"

Gohan's power level was almost nonexistent, not that it was incredibly powerful before, but now the scouter didn't track anything at all. _How the fuck did he ever..._"...Impossible."

"You like it?" Gohan laughed, "See, Uncle Vegeta! I can help you guys! I've already started showing Uncle Raditz! Do you want me to teach it to you too?"

"Hmph." His cold eyes glanced to the floor and then back up as he started to hover off the ground. "You expect me to take lessons from the half-breed offspring of a treacherous Saiyan?"

That was obviously not the response Gohan was expecting. He blinked, rightfully confused, and nervously rubbed his small hands together. "I...I...was just offering Prince Vegeta, sir."

"Don't make such a stupid offer again." Vegeta flew up higher, "I am your prince. I am stronger than you, smarter than you, and more experienced. Do not patronize me with offers of assistance, boy. I am here to train _you_."

Gohan gulped at the severity of Vegeta's tone, "Yes, sir." He took a step forward, still far away from the prince because of their difference in altitude. "What will you be teaching me today?"

Vegeta smirked and raised his hand, producing a small, yet insanely bright, light in the palm of his white gloved hands, while covering his own eyes with his other arm. The small toddler on the ground immediately cringed, and Vegeta could hear his shouts for the Saiyan prince to "turn off the moonlight".

* * *

It confused her at first to see an orange uniform outside her front door, mostly because Yamcha was already inside. "Goku?" Bulma let the fighter in, clear distress painted on his face. Goku looked uncharacteristically somber. His usual youthful carefree expression was explicitly absent, and it sent a chill straight through Bulma's spine. "Is everything okay, Goku? What's wrong?"

"Are your parents here?" His voice was lower too. It was so serious, a tone he usually saved for fights, not friends.

"Yeah, but Dad's in the lab and Mom's in the kitchen. Goku, did something happen?" Bulma didn't mean to pressure him, but whatever Goku wanted to say, he clearly didn't want anyone to hear, and Yamcha could be out of the shower any minute now. "Why don't we sit down and talk about it?"

He shook his head, shrugging away her touch on his shoulder. "It's just..." The tall man shook his head, eyes cast downwards, "You knew, didn't you? You knew all this time about my... about me. And you never thought it'd be a good idea to tell me?"

Her brain stopped. Bulma stood there, still in the entranceway of her house, looking at the Saiyan with pure guilt and sudden terror. She thought Goku looked passed that whole fact, that he didn't know or didn't care that she knew that he was an alien for over a decade now. "I..."

"Did they tell you about my real name too? About how I'm actually this Kakarot guy?"

"Goku, I didn't think it'd make a difference." She shook her head, wanting to tell him the truth, "I didn't know how I would ever explain it."

"You couldn't try?" His voice wasn't raised, but there was hidden frustration there, "Chichi says she's not afraid of me, but..."Goku shook his head, "And she was so confused about Gohan, about everything. She didn't understand why he had a tail, even when I reminded her that I had one when I was younger too. But I couldn't explain why he was so strong or why I had to hide him from the full moon. I couldn't explain to my wife anything about me or my son."

Bulma bit her lip, "I'm so sorry, Goku."

He shook his head and walked deeper into the house, sitting down on the nearby living room's long sectional sofa. "I'm not angry, Bulma. I don't want you to apologize. I'm not sure what I would do in your situation either...if I knew a secret that affected your whole life." He sighed, scratching his black hair, "I guess I would keep it from you too, if I thought it was for the best."

"How could I tell a twelve year old boy he was an alien?" She slid next to him and rested her head in her hands. She felt awful for it now, but what could she have done? How could she have explained to the child Goku that he was actually from outer space? That she had met the remnants of his family and that he was really a bloodthirsty warrior with a slight personality problem? "It doesn't change who you are, you know. You're not Kakarot. You're Son Goku."

He lightly smiled at that and nodded, "Yeah, I know, but I kind of came over here for more than just to say that."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What?"

"I want to know more about who we're dealing with. Raditz couldn't possibly be going to Namek by himself. He wasn't that strong when he came here, and with the training I've been doing so far, I think I'm already up to his power level."

Bulma somehow didn't doubt it. Even though Goku had only been released from the hospital last week, she had no doubt when it came to his training capabilities. "You're probably right."

The growing grin on Goku's face made Bulma's body immediately stiffen. They had known each other for too long; he could read her far too easily, even though half the time he did seem like a clueless numskull. "Do you know who else is coming?"

He already knew the answer was yes. Bulma didn't bother trying to lie, already feeling guilty from the last topic. "Yes." She waited for Goku to press her more, but he didn't. He just sat there patiently, letting Bulma take her time. "He'll probably be going with two other guys."

"Two other ones? Hopefully both Tien and Yamcha want to come then. You did ask Yamcha to come, didn't you?"

She hadn't. Bulma had briefly explained that she was going to a peaceful planet named Namek to get some dragon balls to wish Gohan and possibly Piccolo back, but she hadn't asked him to join her. Sure, he had offered, but she would usually just shout at him them, saying that she could handle herself, and he'd immediately dropped the issue. "I...um, haven't. Maybe you can ask him, Goku?"

"Yeah, sure, Bulma." His smile faded, "Who are the other two guys?"

"Well..." She coughed, "You have to remember that it's been like 12 years since I've last seen these guys, so don't yell at me if I get some facts wrong, okay?" Bulma didn't wait for a response, "Raditz is the weakest one out of all them. There's this one guy who seemed about thirty or so 12 years ago. He had this creepy moustache too..."

"Bulma," Goku interrupted, "What about their power levels? How much stronger are they than Raditz?"

She shrugged, "Beats me. I can't exactly read ki, you know. The old guy's name was Nappa. He's kind of a jerk, didn't like me very much."

"And the other one?"

Bulma opened her mouth to speak, not wanting to draw attention with a pause, but nothing came out. She relented, pausing and taking a big breath, before speaking again. "The other one's Vegeta."

"Vegeta?" Goku asked curiously. "What do you remember about him?"

"Not much." The lie came quickly, a little too quickly. "He's...um, a little older than you. He's only a year older than me, actually. Crazy black hair, strong. Much stronger than Nappa."

"Stronger than Nappa?" Goku asked, disbelievingly.

She nodded her head, "Yeah, well I guess that comes with the territory."

"Huh?"

Bulma cracked a grin, suddenly feeling extremely proud, "He's a prince. Prince of the Saiyans."

"What?" Goku looked flabbergasted and then suddenly held his stomach, breaking out into laughter.

"Hey! What's so funny?" She didn't meant o sound so defensive. It just sort of came out. Bulma coughed, "I mean, it's not ridiculous that aliens have prince's too, is it?"

Goku shook his head, "No...but, what Saiyans are there to be prince over?" Goku wiped a stray tear from his eye, and quickly recovered, seeing Bulma's scowl. "Sorry, Bulma. It's just weird hearing you're an alien, even months later, and then finding out that you have a prince to obey too?" Goku suppressed another laugh, "It's like one of those awful books Chichi's always trying to get me to read."

"Well, it's not just a story." Why was her tone so harsh? "He's real."

Goku eyed her curiously, "Oh...of course he is. I'm sure he's nice, Bulma." She didn't like the knowing look on his face, not at all. But luckily for her, before Goku could comment even more on the matter, he suddenly raised his head.

"Goku? Is something wrong?"

He nodded, "It's Chichi's ki."

Bulma stood up, following Goku's movements towards the door. "Is she okay? Is everything alright?"

"I don't know. There's no one else with her, but it's really high. I wonder what..."

"Hey, Bulma?"

Bulma turned away from Goku to face Yamcha, fresh from the shower with her cell phone, "Yeah? What's up?"

"Um... nothing really." He stared at the phone and then Goku, "Chichi just called asking if she could talk to Gohan. She...um, seemed pretty freaked out when I said there's no service in outer space."

_What. _ Bulma stared. That was all she could do. Her body went completely numb at Yamcha's words. And when she finally had the capability to speak again, her tongue felt heavy with anxiety, "You...said, _what_?"

Yamcha shivered away, "Did I say something wrong?"

Goku breaking down the front door to fly home was the only answered he needed.

* * *

A/N:

I know it's short. But I will make it up to you! And expect the final take off to Namek next post! Sorrysorrysorrysorry D:


	5. Blast Off!

A/N:

Oh Spring Break...

SO I know this is short, and since my excuse can no longer be enormous amounts of school work, I'll have to use the sick card. Which, by the way, is actually true. And I can rant on and on about beign sick during spring break, but that's just not too interesting.

Special thanks to all my wonderful reviewers :) You make me super happy (as always)! _Girness, ZombieChick422, Many Voices In My Head, Shirokame, Jaylee-Rebel, Marie Fortune, Greendragonsheart, grumpirah, Shirokame (_again :D)_, Anmylica _(I hope your mom's okay D: and you'll see who survives! *cue evil laugh*)_, menga88 _(well...um..about Yamcha not going...you'll see), _The Azu Soul Lilly, Miss Tis (_bed sounds nice...oyasumi nasai!), _MK08, Onba, Black Diamond07_, _The0Blind0Writer_ (:D glad I could get you into this couple!), _kickstartmyhart, ZapZapYotsuba _(eep. can we ignore that slight continuity issue..maybe? but thanks :D), _BloodyXan-Xan, bvprincess23, ScoobyDoobyDee _(happy...week after St. Patrick's Day!), _YukiraKing _(I'M SO EXCITED FOR NAMEK TOO. my head is overflowing), _Dazzler303, dolce-bebe, Merely-A-Victom, merlincrazy, Veggie Luva Duncan Luva (_Love the new addition to your name), _Death101-Fox Version, Eure, Cara2012, dyingdreamsv2, gege, Laughers song _(holy sh*t four hours? props.), _apple pie 33, !LOV3 TH3 PR!NC3 _(I can't do upside down exclamation points...), _bimbosarahsurfchick _(also super duper thanks for all the reviews you left in _Make A Wish!_ And yay international :D that'll be me next year...), _jdboss1, _ _KayuraK _(no dying! and thanks for the _Make A Wish _review too!), _mulayhna _(ah! no dying again D:), and _Haw Re_sf _(_I WAS! silly fanfic D: sorry! oh and double thanks).

Why does everyone hate Yamcha D: Aw, poor guy. eh, but whatever. This isn't a Yamcha x Bulma fic...ugh.

Disclaimer: I do not own DB, DBZ, or even DBGT D:

**edit: THIS WAS ON TIME. I SWEAR. fanfic decided to give me an error message for trying to update. and eventually my nyquil kicked in and I just couldn't stay up any longer...**

**Special thanks to _YukiraKing _for telling me the trick to updating this! Hopefully fanfic fixes everything soon!  
**

* * *

_Blast Off!_

"Gohan, when you enter immediately bow. And don't look him straight in the eye. . Don't speak without being spoken to, and don't mention anything about Earth or your family, okay?" Raditz was bent down, looking at his nephew with some sick look of concern.

Vegeta watched as the little boy nodded in confirmation. "Yes _Daddy_ Raditz. But what if he asks me any questions?""

"I will speak for you," Vegeta offered, looking at the Saiyan seal on the boy's chest with pride. "And make sure you lower your ki. I have no attention of showing Frieza how powerful you are."

These past months had been some of the most confusing experiences the Saiyan Prince had ever had. The half breed was toxic, turning one of his most loyal Saiyan warriors into a concerned parent. Raditz took extra care to make sure Gohan was comfortable, to make sure he always had food and water and anything else the little brat wanted. His constant babying made Vegeta have to pick up the training slack. Which is where the true confusion came.

Gohan was excelling, passed the level that he had ever anticipated. Hell, it was passed the level _he_ was as a child. And no one was supposed to be stronger than a Saiyan Prince, especially the half breed spawn of some third class. Which brought even more of that blasted confusion. Because even though Vegeta knew he should have been furious at the prospect of Gohan surpassing him one day...he wasn't. That thought only brought about more excitement, more proof that eventually, Frieza would be dead at a Saiyan's feet.

"Uncle Vegeta?"

The full blooded Saiyan narrowed his eyes before turning, "Yes, brat?"

"...This man...he's the one who killed your family?"

Vegeta snorted. "He's no man, Gohan."

Nappa came running up to them in the hallway, completing their little band of Saiyans. Vegeta knocked twice on the door, all that was needed before the metal slid open to reveal Zarbon. "The monkeys have arrived." He sneered and then stepped to the side, allowing them all to come in.

Vegeta saw Gohan shiver as they entered the dark room. The little boy wrapped his tail around his waist, a defense tactic the prince was so grateful the boy had managed to pick up. Months ago, the toddler would have coward into a corner or wrap his chubby arms around Raditz's leg. But the little boy just gulped, not even flinching as Frieza placed a finger under his chin.

"Someone missed the reproduction protocol meeting." The cold lizard's eyes glanced up from Gohan to Raditz. "Why didn't you just kill the pathetic twerp? His power level is almost as weak as the Earthling little Vegeta had."

"Uncle Vegeta had an Earthling, Mr. Frieza?"

Vegeta had to fight a huge snarl. _The little brat!_ Gohan was intentionally going against his prince's wishes, and for what? His own curiosity? He had heard about the stupid Earth woman before, and he actually had the balls to ask about her to Frieza? "Your son needs to be put on a muzzle, Raditz."

"What is he wearing on his chest, Vegeta?" Frieza broke out laughing, "Is that the seal of Vegeta-sei? How adorable. Don't tell me he's your heir! How absolutely _precious_! Haha!"

Nappa had to hold onto Vegeta's shoulder to prevent the prince from punching his overlord in the face. Vegeta shrugged the oaf off and looked back to Frieza, eyes filled with disdain. "What do you want?"

"I came from Planet #79 just to check on my favorite group of monkeys. That's all. I also may have another mission for you, Vegeta. Perhaps you can bring the baby monkey with..."

"Frieza, I actually wanted to talk to you about a possible mission."

He watched the alien's eyes narrow into thin slits. "Oh? Do tell, Vegeta."

"When Raditz was out retrieving the brat, he caught word of a strange device that may be a threat to the Cold Empire."

Frieza held no visible reaction, but thanks to Gohan's little trick, he sensed the alien's ki increase a bit. "What kind of device is this?"

"A Namekian contraption of some sort."

Frieza snorted. "Namekians are just a bunch of peace loving plants. They hold no threat to me."

"Of course not, my lord." Vegeta smirked, bowing his head slightly in false respect. "But it'd be foolish to not even put out some sort of reconnaissance."

"Hm, I suppose the baby monkey could squash some plants." Frieza bent down, becoming eye level with Gohan. His white fingers roughly scraped across the young boy's face. "You will be a nice addition to my little empire, boy. But step out of line..." His composed, dried face turned into a twisted grin. "...and Daddy here won't be able to give you any siblings."

Gohan coughed, speechless, his tiny eyes squinting in fear at the white and purple monster in front of him. Vegeta quickly stepped ahead of him. "Do we have your permission to go to Namek?"

"Yes." Frieza nodded. "But Vegeta, let me get a new uniform for the child. I can't have him wear that monstrosity around."

The Saiyan Prince grunted in reply.

"Oh, and Vegeta?" Frieza turned back around to the circular window at the end of the hall. "Your scouter has been acting up for a while. Get a new one before you go."

Vegeta nodded but had no intention of following the command. "As you wish."

The four Saiyans left the room immediately afterwards. Nappa headed off to the docking station to arrange the pods. It would take one mouth to get there, which would leave a week or two before the Earthlings arrived. Vegeta doubted the boy's father would be going there alone, and he was pretty certain the blue haired witch would be joining him.

Gohan was running behind him, tail swaying and mouth running so fast. "Was he a good friend of yours Vegeta? Is that why you don't talk about him?"

Vegeta stopped and turned around, facing Gohan and Raditz. "Do not, brat, refer to Frieza as my _friend_."

"No-not Frieza, Mr. Vegeta. The Earthling. Was he your friend?"

Raditz patted Gohan on the head, "We don't talk to Vegeta about that, Gohan."

"Why? Did he hurt your feelings, Mr. Vegeta?" Gohan tugged at the prince's armor. "I'm sure he didn't mean to."

"Brat..." His words hit like ice. "If you ask me one more time about the Earth girl, you will not be accompanying us to Namek, understand?"

"Relax, Vegeta." Raditz placed a hand on Vegeta's shoulder in a sad effort to comfort him. Vegeta's body tensed from the contact, but he allowed Raditz to continue speaking. "Can't exactly rip her to shreds when you see her, right?"

_Why not?_ "Hmph." Vegeta folded his arms.

"See her?" Gohan blinked, "Why would she go to Namek, Uncle Raditz?"

"One more question, boy!" Vegeta held up one finger and continued to walk down the hallway.

Gohan shook his head, "But...but I was asking Uncle Raditz..."

"Shh, Gohan." Raditz held the toddler's hand. "Don't mind Vegeta, he's just being cranky."

* * *

Goku scratched his head, looking at the pile of bags in disbelief. "...Bulma...we're not staying on Namek too long."

The blue haired girl just grunted and took out a capsule. "I'm going to be stuck on a spaceship for a month. The last thing I want to do is run out of clothes." She picked up the capsule and turned back to her friend. "How's Chichi doing?"

Goku spun his head around, seeing his wife talk to Yamcha a few yards away from him. "Um, she's excited to get her son back. Can't say my head is fully healed yet though."

Bulma giggled as Goku scratched the bump on his head. Though Chichi's hit to the Saiyan's head was painful to watch, she didn't think it was anything compared to the verbal berating she endured. She couldn't exactly blame Mrs. Son for freaking out; Bulm had lied to her, about her son's safety no less. She could only be grateful that she hadn't been around Chichi these past few months. _Poor Goku_. But her thoughts quickly drifted away from Chichi's mental state to why the Hell Yamcha was holding a duffel bag. "...Goku, did you tell my boyfriend he could come?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah! Why did you tell him we wouldn't need his help?"

"Because we don't!" _And the last thing I want is him meeting Vegeta_. Bulma could feel her palms begin to sweat. Yamcha could not be coming with them. It would be disastrous and potentially incredibly dangerous for the human fighter. "Tien, Chaozu, and Krillin are coming. We don't need Yamcha."

"Tien and Chaozu aren't coming. They figured it'd be best if some fighters stay here...just in case the Saiyans aren't as trustworthy and decide to switch up the plan."

Bulma huffed, "The Saiyans wouldn't do that. They should be coming, not Yamcha."

The Saiyan raised an eyebrow at her reaction, "Bulma, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" She laughed nervously, "What do you mean?"

"It's almost like you don't want him to come." Goku took a step closer to her. "Is it because of Raditz?"

_Raditz? What?_ She blinked and then snorted, realizing he must have been talking about her perfect boyfriend wish. By Raditz he meant Vegeta. _ No point on correcting him_... "No...I...I just don't want him to get hurt." That was the truth, wasn't it?

"Bulma..." Yamcha's arm was suddenly slung around her shoulde. She flinched initially at the contact, but relaxed, just seeing it was her boyfriend after all. "We're fighters. No stupid Saiyans are any match for us...no offense Goku."

Bulma's face fell, her straight bangs falling across her face. "Just...you have to be really careful."

"Huh?" Yamcha shifted his duffel bag on his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head, "Is Krillin inside?"

Yamcha nodded, "You had no objections to him coming."

"...Yamcha, I'll explain. I promise."

The fighter just nodded his head before waving goodbye to Chichi and entering Kami's old ship. Bulma then turned back to Goku who was hugging a Chichi near tears. Roshi, Oolong, and Puar were also waiting outside on the Capsule Corp. grounds, looking at the sad couple. "We'll get him back, Chichi." The Saiyan was holding her gently, hands gently brushing through her hair as she hid her face into his chest.

Bulma gulped at Goku's reassuring tone. They thought Raditz had been strong, but to Nappa and Vegeta, he was a joke. They had no idea what they were getting into. _This is all my fault. _ She watched Yamcha's shadow move passed the door and half wondered if he'd come back alive. _Vegeta...he's not a killer though...he's not. _ Bulma shook her head. She couldn't rely on that thought. She needed to tell Yamcha about that. _But how can I?_

"Bulma, you ready?"

Goku's hand on her shoulder jostled her awake. She fuddled with her capsule case and handed him a small capsule. "My dad made this for you, Goku."

"Oh? What is it?"

"It's a Gravity Room. My dad had been tinkering with it, and I had him make a prototype before we take off." Bulma watched Goku eye the capsule with curiosity.

"Why give it to me?"

"Is that a serious question? You're the strongest out of all of them, Goku. You're our greatest asset."

He didn't agree. He just still looked confused, "You think we'll need it?"

"You tell me." Bulma fiddled with the Dragon radar in her pocket. _What are you after Vegeta? _ "Saiyans...they have an insane amount of potential. We'll need you, Goku. We always do." Bulma sighed and looked on to the ship. "Say goodbye to Chichi again. Tell her I called West Orange. They promised to save Gohan a spot when he gets to high school."

"She'll be happy to hear that."

"I'm sorry, Goku." Nothing had even happened yet, but Bulma wasn't stupid. It'd be nothing short of a miracle if their journey to Namek went off without a hitch.

Space had been more interesting when she was younger. The stars had seemed brighter, but now they seemed lost, swallowed by the deep darkness of their black backdrop. Kami's ship was crowded, especially with four people on board and the GR taking up so much space. As the only female on the trip, Bulma managed to secure her own room in the back, leaving Krillin and Goku to sleep on the floor.

The weeks were going faster than she would have liked. She tried to occupy her time working on Goku's new GR, and Yamcha insisted on teaching her some fighting techniques in case she found herself alone with any of the Saiyans or if the Namekians were more like Piccolo and less like Kami. But none of it really sunk in. Despite being surrounded by fighters, Bulma had no knack for martial arts herself.

"Hey!"

She turned from her sitting position on the bed to face Yamcha. His skin was plastered with sweat, but he lazily sat on their makeshift bed anyway. The desert bandit rolled on his side and faced Bulma, but she steered her attention away.

"What's wrong, babe?"

"Nothing."

He was soon sitting up next to her, his arms wrapped around her shoulders. His body odor made her nose wiggle in slight disgust, but she ignored it. She liked being held. Her mind was swimming with unwanted thoughts. Of the Saiyans. Of Frieza. Of Vegeta. There was so much darkness in the universe that she was now introducing them to. The least she

"Is it about your wish?"

Yamcha's words shocked her and caused her to turn around. She hadn't mentioned anything like that to Yamcha. All that she said was that she used her fabulous persuasive skills to convince Raditz not to destroy the Earth and to give back Gohan within a year. "Did Goku tell you that?"

"You never liked to talk about that." He slid closer, face becoming coldly serious. "Did they hurt you, Bulma?"

"No!" She stood up. Anger was suddenly flooding through her. "How could you say that?"

"Well, what am I supposed to think? That you actually did find the perfect person for you?" Yamcha remained seated in an attempt to calm her.

"No, nothing like that!"

"Then what happened, Bulma? Talk to me."

But she didn't want to. Anything slightly related to Vegeta she refused to talk about with Yamcha. _But I need to tell him._ She had to. Their relationship spanned for over a decade, and there was no reason to keep her 'relationship' with Vegeta a secret. Vegeta meant nothing. Their time together had been a desperate ploy for her survival, nothing more. She sat back down and grabbed Yamcha's hand. "I did meet someone."

He said nothing, not wanting to interrupt. She knew Yamcha had always been slightly curious about her wish, especially since her 'perfect boyfriend' hadn't been him.

Bulma sighed. "I met the Saiyans."

"You mean...like, the guy who killed Piccolo and stole Goku's kid?"

"No, no. I only met him briefly."

Yamcha shook his head, "Goku said there would be three of them. Is one of them your..."

"Yes...well, no! No!" She grabbed him by the shoulders. "I love _you_, Yamcha. Not some stupid Saiyan Prince I met when I was a teenag..."

"Saiyan _Prince_, Bulma? What the Hell is that?"

"Nothing! It was nothing. Just...survival tactics. But Yamcha..."

"You fell in love with an alien prince? That's crazy. Something out of a science fiction novel."

"Hey! It's not like Saiyans are like some green, purple monsters." She paused, letting his words fully sink in. "And I don't love him! Don't be ridiculous." She snorted for additional effect, but for some reason, it sounded incredibly fake.

"I know." Yamcha fell back down, his long black hair running across the crappy mattress. "...But what happened? Did he..."

"Nothing happened, Yamcha." She kissed him on the cheek. "Nothing at all. But..." She bit her lip, "Just don't talk about...us, okay?"

He raised an eyebrow, "You want me to pretend that we're not dating?" His voice became rough, uncharacteristically annoyed. "To some psychopathic freak? Why? Why should I?"

Bulma ran her hands through his dark hair. She was liking this jealous Yamcha, but there was still a more serious issue to address. "If he finds out about us Yamcha...I'm afraid he'll come after you."

"And do what?"

She rested her head on his shoulders, mentally cursing Goku for allowing Yamcha to come. "He'll kill you."

* * *

He was grateful Gohan was shoved into some other pod. The hibernation unit made the month to Namek fly by in an instant. Vegeta was soon awakening to a field of blue grass and green skies. The gravity here was weak, which only led him to believe the Namekians were weak themselves. He crossed his arms and hovered lightly over the seemingly peaceful landscape. _Perfect._

Nappa confirmed his thoughts, "Highest power level is barely any threat." The larger Saiyan grunted before turning off his scouter. "It looks like they live in scattered villages, and there's not too many left. It should be easy to find whatever the Hell we're looking for."

"We'll wait for the Earthlings." Vegeta gave Nappa a hard look and then turned his attention to Gohan, "Boy, do you know what kind of ship they would take to get here?"

The toddler shook his head, "No...Mom always wanted Dad to get some sort of license, but I think that was more for a car. Nothing that could get anyone to space."

"Vegeta, are you even sure they'll get here?" Raditz questioned before turning off his scouter completely.

His memories were muddled. Bulma had told him she had been adventuring out into space in a spaceship produced by her father, but Raditz's new information that she came and left by dragon ball completely got rid of that theory. _But why would she agree to the plan if she couldn't get here?_ Vegeta knew she wasn't stupid. Bulma would figure out a way to get here. "Find a hideout. The Namekians are not to know we're here. Encapsulate the pods."

Nappa raised an eyebrow, "Do what to the what now?"

The Saiyan Prince groaned and then moved towards his pod, where the small hidden case lay hidden underneath his seat. He hadn't touched the metal casing in many years, and pulling it out now opened a flood gate of unwelcomed memories. "Never mind. I'll do it. Bunch of idiots." Vegeta hid the pods and tucked them into his pocket. "Nappa, reconnaissance the area. Do not let the Namekians detect you or you'll be stuck on this shithole forever."

The bald Saiyan nodded.

"Raditz, go find shelter. We arrived a bit early and will need a secure area to wait it out."

"What about me, Uncle Vegeta, sir?" Gohan walked up, still in Vegeta's childhood armor. Fuck Frieza's wishes. If Gohan were to wear any armor, it should fucking have the Vegeta-sei seal on it. Although once a pathetic half-breed twerp, Gohan's Saiyan blood did shine through. He was incredibly powerful, especially for a five year old. And although Vegeta could not understand the appeal to familial connections, his unflinching loyalty to his father and mother did produce great power.

"You're going to tell me about your father, Gohan."

Gohan shook his head, "You promised you wouldn't hurt him!"

"You're right." Vegeta crossed his arms and landed on the ground, pacing carefully across the grass. "I just want him to join me."

Raditz had found a suitable shelter that lasted them the week. Gohan was sent out to find food and water for the rest of them, and usually he came back with more than enough fish to satisfy even three and half Saiyan appetites. But one day he came back with nothing. Vegeta, after being initially pissed off beyond belief, was confused as to why he came back at all.

"They're here!" Gohan shouted at his uncle rampantly. "They're here! I saw them! My dad's here!"

This was his chance, his opportunity to surpass Frieza. Just a quick trade and he would get his wish and his freedom. Vegeta went out of the small cave just in time to see the dust settle from the large spacecraft some yards away. _Bulma. _

_

* * *

_A/N:

I know this chapter is a little rushed and all, but I'm sickly for goodness sakes! haha, no really, I'm just excited for them to meet, as I'm sure all of you are. And get ready for it! You guys waited for a while, and I promise to make it well worth the wait :D

oh and let's all pray for Japan, please? :)

Byebye!


	6. Reunion

A/N:

hi guys :D

No real news to say, except that I waited a long time to write this chapter, and I would not have it any other way. Thanks so much to all of my patient readers and reviewers. You guys are incredibly amazing and motivating (as always).

Thanks: _gege, grumpirah, artificialmasquerade _(NyQuil is my favorite :D), _Laughers Song, Darja Germany Hamburg_, _bimbosarahsurfchick _(thanks! that's just my bad/sickly editing...), _Greendragonsheart _(thanks!), _APhoenixFromAshes, Many Voices In My Head, The Azu Soul Lilly, mulayhna, the0blind0writer (_Namekians will make an appearance soon :D), _Marie Fortune _(I'll keep praying for your sister!), _MK08_ (exactly how I feel!), _BloodyXan-Xan, ZombieChick422, Death101-Fox Version, bvprincess23, Gan Aurora, MrSuperSaiyan, Jaylee-Rebel, menga88, BrunetteAmbition, Thesuckiestwriterofforever, Cara2012, Eure, Momiji _(If you prefer this name over Mis Tis than that's fine with me :D i'll know it's you!), _Haw Resf, Winrycherry101_, _ScoobyDoobyDee, XzCrimsonTearszX, Gindorf091, kickstartmyhart, dolce-bebe, YukiraKing, dyingdreamsv2, KayuraK, jdboss1, Death-ray, Renae724, jhoom, Girness, Linneh, FishTVCo _(or KV, I'm glad you gave this story a chance :D), _merlincrazy, joys, Jena08, TessabulMAXVEGET A FOREVER_, and _Kitty6773._

Thanks for all the well wishes too! You guys are so sweet! And my hits are currently OVER 9000. ...sorry, I'm done now.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to DB/DBZ/DBGT. Booooo

* * *

_Reunion_

"Look! There it is!" Krillin pointed out of one of the windows eagerly. They had been stuck on this spaceship for a good month, and everyone, especially Bulma, was starting to get a tad testy. They were using the Namekian 'food supply' as a shower and sink, but that didn't really allow any of them to smell pretty fresh. Bulma couldn't wait to get to Namek and open up a proper Capsule house. _First thing I'm going to do is shower. I can't meet the Saiyans smelling like a pig._Her blue eyes blinked at the thought. _Wait, why can't I?_

No, no. She would take a shower for Yamcha's sake, for all their sakes. Smelly body odor could be distracting in a fight. _Not for Vegeta. Who's Vegeta? I don't know any Vegeta. _

"...Are you sure that's Namek?" Goku scratched his head rather doubtful.

"Look at it! It seems to be in the right place!" Krillin moved up to the controls, getting ready to land until Goku's hand touched his.

"...I don't have a good feeling about this. Bulma, what did Mr. Popo say?"

Bulma shrugged and moved over to the large front window. She wasn't really sure what Namek looked like, and as eager as she was to land at this one, Goku made her reconsider. "It still seems a bit early. Let's fly around for a few more hours, and if there isn't another planet, we'll turn back to this one."

"Fine." Krillin got up from the control chair, relinquishing the seat for Bulma. "But don't say I didn't tell you so when we waste five hours circling back."

"It shouldn't be that long." Bulma felt her palms sweat. The spaceship's radar already detected another planet. It wouldn't take them more than a couple of hours to land. She slid back down in the chair and gripped the metal handles. There was really nothing to be afraid of. This journey would take no more than a couple of hours. A shame, actually, when the trip here had taken weeks. But what was she thinking? Did she actually want to spend more time away from Earth? Off gallivanting around with Saiyans searching for dragon balls? _Maybe I..._

"Are we almost there?" Yamcha moved forward from the back of the ship. He stood next to Bulma, laying one hand on her, almost protectively. "I can't wait to meet these Saiyans."

_Please don't do anything stupid._

"Ugh. I can. I still have a stupid migraine from your older brother, Goku. And I doubt the other Saiyans are going to be much nicer."

"They won't be." Bulma turned around to face them, removing Yamcha's hand in the process. "No fighting. You guys won't win."

"Hey, Bulma! Goku's been training at 100 times gravity this whole time! Don't make us sound like such wimps." Krillin shook his head.

"I'm not trying to insult you! You big oaf! I'm trying to save your lives!" Bulma turned back to the radar. "Nappa and Vegeta are trained fighters. They've destroyed entire worlds. Just promise me you guys that you won't fight them." She moved some buttons around, increasing the spaceships speed. Half of her mind was filled with dread, but the other half held nothing but anticipation. Maybe she would finally stop dreaming about him. She could confirm visually that Vegeta was alive, and her guilt for leaving him would vanish. She would no longer be plagued by his tortured image in her mind. She could continue her life on Earth with Yamcha, and Gohan safely returned to his mother. This would be the closure she needed. Namek would be the final chapter of her strange obsession with the Saiyan.

Goku pointed ahead. There was a tiny green sphere in the distance shrouded by clouds. "I can't promise that, Bulma." He turned his dark eyes towards her, "They took my son. And unless they only have good intentions, I can't promise this won't end without a fight."

They had an easy landing. A good start to, hopefully, an easy journey. Bulma fiddled in front of the mirror. Her hair had grown out a bit from when Raditz saw her, but it was still short, bangs hidden behind a pink headband. Her hands smoothed out the wrinkles to her yellow and black outfit, and she carefully examined her face in the semi reflective window.

"Trying to look nice?" Goku approached her from behind, making her jump.

She ignored the question, "Are Krillin and Yamcha ready?"

"Are you?"

"Since when did you get like this?" She shifted around, eyeing her friend curiously. "Raditz's beating went straight to your head, didn't it? Or was it Chichi's?"

"I've always been concerned about my friends. You just seem really worried, Bulma."

"Of course I'm worried! We're going after super powerful aliens!" She grunted, frustrated that Goku kept bothering her about this. "The GR was useful, right?"

The fighter nodded. "I let Krillin and Yamcha use it on a lower gravity too. Boy, was it fun trying to get up to 100G. That's some intense stuff."

"I worked out the plans for one that can go up to 300G. I'll be sure to have my father take a look at it when we get back."

Goku shrugged, "Hopefully we won't need it. But with my track record, that sounds like a good plan."

"What does guys? Throwing them the Dragon radar while they hand over Gohan and then getting the Hell out of here? Love the plan. Let's do it!" Krillin held a bag of Korin's senzu beans in one hand and his duffel in the other.

Yamcha came in after and gave Bulma her capsule case and Dragon radar. "Nah, I want to at least meet the bastards." His dark eyes strayed to Bulma for a brief second. "Or at least find out what they want from the dragon balls."

"Maybe we can convince them to wish back Piccolo."

All eyes turned to Goku, incredibly confused by his words. The Saiyan shrugged, "What? He's actually not a bad guy. Plus we'd get the Earth's dragon balls back. We'll most likely need them again."

"Let's not jump the gun, guys." Bulma took the Dragon radar from her boyfriend. "Ready? The ship says the oxygen and gravity levels are equivalent to Earth's so we shouldn't have any trouble in this atmosphere." She waited for all three men to nod before opening the doors.

Namek was Earth backwards. The grass was an interesting shade of blue, looking slightly green when reflected against the pine colored sky. The clouds were a less spectacular shade of gold than Nimbus, looking almost dull in comparison to the three suns perched in the sky.

"Strange. It looked like such a big planet from space."

Bulma turned to Goku, "What do you mean?"

"He means that there's only about a hundred or so ki's on this planet. Not a lot at all." Yamcha sighed and kicked the dirt next to the blue grass.

_Tell me Vegeta didn't..._

"There's one really high ki over there." Krillin was already hovering slightly, "Think it could be the Saiyans?"

"Maybe. Why don't you check it out, Krillin?" Goku suggested, earning a displeasured look from his long time best friend.

Bulma raised her hand, "I'll go with you!" She bit her lip at her eagerness. "I am the negotiator after all."

"Are you kidding, Bulma? I'll go." Yamcha already dropped his bag on the ground. "Set up camp guys. There's a cave over there." He kissed Bulma gently on the cheek, "See ya in a few."

Krillin grumbled. "Yeah, yeah. If I get knocked into a house again, I'm taking the ship back to Earth. Who knew meeting you guys would mean space travel. Sheesh."

"Thanks Krillin, Yamcha. I'll keep an eye on your ki's. Good luck." Goku gave them a slight wave, and they blasted into the green sky.

Bulma took out her case of capsules and moved into the nearby cave. "Gosh, I really need a shower. How about you, Goku?" Her blue eyes blinked, "Goku?"

Goku was sitting at the edge of the cave, legs crossed. His normally cheerful grin was gone, and his entire focus seemed to be planted on Namek's horizon line. Bulma watched her friend carefully. This past year had been hard for the Son's, and Bulma had no doubt that sometimes Goku wished that there had been another way to defeat Raditz, another option than his son getting kidnapped and brought into the lost frontier of space. "He'll be okay, Goku."

"I can't sense his ki."

Bulma didn't really know what that fully meant, but she just nodded and left her capsule case on the ground. "Can't he suppress it though...or whatever you guys do?"

"But why would he?"

"Maybe he's not here yet." But she doubted that. Vegeta was neurotic, and she suspected he would have gotten here early. "They wouldn't kill him, Goku."

He didn't reply but just retreated back in the cave and waited for Bulma to release the capsule house. She purposely picked the same model they had used all those years ago, after they had first met. It was smaller and much older than the other houses she brought, but she figured it was appropriate. This wouldn't be the only memory she would be reliving, oh no.

That night had been weird. ...That whole time of her life had been weird. She remembered being appalled at Goku's hygiene, about his inability to determine genders, and now the once naïve, smelly boy she went adventuring with was sitting in that same house worrying about his child. Life had a way of sneaking up on her. She was almost thirty, _thirty_, and all she wanted was to be that sixteen year old girl again.

"Mind if I shower first, Bulma?" Goku already had a towel around his neck.

The fact that Goku suddenly cared about his personal hygiene had her agreeing. "Yeah sure." She grabbed an old magazine from the coffee table. "I'll be right outside."

"Alright! Just shout if you need help."

"Yeah, yeah." She shooed him off and headed out of the Capsule house. There was a nice rock near the entrance of the cave, a perfect spot just to relax and read her magazine. After spending a month on Kami's ship, she relished in this slightly different but still refreshing air.

* * *

He was halfway through the air when he decided to stop himself. _What the fuck am I doing_? Vegeta clenched his fists, head cast downwards. He could sense her. Damn that brat's tricks; he could fucking sense her now. Her ki signature, though weak and incredibly pathetic, stood out on this blue green planet like a blinding light. How did he recognize it so instantaneously? He had never sensed her before; he didn't know that ability then. But there she was, yards away with her puny power level. Vegeta readied his ki to fly towards it when another presence stopped him.

"Uncle Vegeta...are you alright?"

_Gohan_. "Hmph. Of course I'm alright, boy. I am simply tracking the location of the Earthlings."

"Oh okay." Gohan hovered next to him, mimicking Vegeta and crossing his arms. "Hey! That's my Dad's ki!"

Vegeta speedily grabbed Gohan's hand to stop the boy from flying down. "Brat, do you remember nothing? Tactics. Think before you blindly charge in on your enemy."

"But he's not my enemy! He's my Dad! He's a good guy Uncle Vegeta! Trust me."

Vegeta scoffed, "Unless he intends to help me retrieve the dragon balls and defeat Frieza, he is my enemy. Understand?"

"...But...but you promised not to hurt him."

The Saiyan Prince had nothing to say to that. He wasn't one to break promises, mostly because he wasn't one to make them in the first place. "Then I lied. I promise nothing if he gets in my way."

"But, Uncle Raditz said..."

"Boy! Listen!" His harsh tone demanded respect, and he easily obtained it from the wide eyed Gohan. "I have not waited two and a half decades to have my vengeance stolen from me, do you understand? Frieza will die. And anyone who gets in my way will suffer the same fate."

The half-breed always surprised him. Gohan shook his head, tears slightly swelling. "I won't let you hurt him, Mr. Vegeta." His power level momentarily sky rocketed, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists in unbridled anger.

The Saiyan Prince rolled his eyes, "Boy, do not make an enemy out of me yet. Control your rage. Save it. I have done nothing to wrong you or your pathetic third class family...yet. Do not waste your energy getting angry at things I _might _do." Vegeta smirked, feeling Gohan's ki go back down to an undetectable level. "Good. Wait for your uncle in the cave."

"...Are you just going to talk to him?"

Vegeta nodded. _For now_. Besides, Kakarot was not the one he was planning on seeing.

* * *

She didn't look up at the sudden rush of wind hitting the ground. Bulma flipped through another page of her magazine, staring at some new swimsuit design that made the model's hips look more like a whale's. _No thank you_. The fighter grunted in front of her, and she sighed, "What Yamcha? Did you get your fill of the Saiyans? Do you understand me now?" She barely glanced up, confused as to why there was only one person in front of her. "Where's Kril..."

Her blue eyes stopped immediately, frozen upwards at the figure now in front of her. This wasn't Yamcha. Oh Hell no. Her mouth pleaded with her to let out some sort of noise, but nothing came. Nothing except a large scream. "AH!" She tried to stand but ended up falling on her butt, the rough shards of rock sending pain throughout her body.

If this had been Yamcha, he would have immediately ran up to her, picking her up and placing her back on the rock while babying her, asking if she was okay. But Vegeta just stood there, arms crossed, face in that perpetual scowl. He hadn't grown...not a lot...maybe an inch. His hair was still in that characteristic flame shaped style, widow's peak framing his dark eyes. The Saiyan narrowed his brows at her, and she could tell he was examining her closely.

_How embarrassing. _ Bulma managed to steady herself, brushing off the dust as she stood back up. She left the magazine forgotten on the floor, too engrossed with the Saiyan in front of her. He looked older, not because of any fine lines or wrinkles or graying hair, but he had this more mature air. It intermingled with his cocky façade, some sort of experienced presence that he didn't posses the last time she had seen him. He was still incredibly fit, as she expected he would be. He was a warrior, that was his job, his life. Vegeta wouldn't be like most Earth men, letting their bodies go to ruin with time and age. He seemed a bit more muscular, but his elegant movements towards her showed he hadn't lost any of his agility.

Her voice still refused to cooperate. Damn.

Vegeta's smirk grew at her agape expression. He let his arms fall to his side, hands still covered by those familiar white gloves. "So, you actually made it here. Used your father's spaceship perhaps?" Sarcasm stained his voice.

She shook her head. Her hair was an absolute mess, but why was she so self conscious? His rough, deep voice made her voice stutter. "Ve-Vegeta..."

"Don't talk." He vanished, reappearing again inches from her face, their noses barely touching. His hot breath made her spine tingle, the hairs on her neck stand completely straight. "I have managed to finally rid my mind of your insufferable voice. I do not wish to here it again."

She shook her head. Was she crying? Bulma stiffened at the thought. She allowed her blue eyes to take in Vegeta again, fully. Floods of memories poured through her, of disgusting lizard laughs, weird tasting food, and sleeping on a pile of clothes. She could feel the cold metal walls, like they were behind her again. And she could feel his warm touch, his tanned, calloused hand running against her cheeks and hair. Bulma shook her head. She wasn't supposed to be thinking about that. "Vegeta...I need to explain. Please, let me explain."

"Hmph. I do not care about your explanations, Woman. And I do not care about you or whatever filthy Earth scum you brought with you." He gestured his head back in the direction where Krillin and Yamcha had flown. "All I care about are the dragon balls. They can grant me any wish, yes?"

It took her awhile to realize that was a question, "Yes, Vegeta, but..."

His dark eyes strayed over her shoulder, and she turned to see Goku behind them, slightly wet from his incredibly fast shower. Vegeta held a finger under her chin. She could feel his heat radiate even through his glove, but the Saiyan Prince just kept grinning. "I will let you live then, Woman, until you help me find them." He pushed her off with one quick movement, and she was back on the ground, her mind swimming. Vegeta walked forward, a yard away from Goku. "You must be Kakarot." There was this weird tone in his voice, almost mimicking disdain.

Goku nodded, "Where's my son?"

"He's here." Vegeta narrowed his eyes, "Do not come looking for him. I will not hesitate to snap her neck. Understand?"

Bulma scratched at the ground at his words. _Vegeta..._

"You will not hurt any of my friends, Vegeta."

"So..." His smirk continued to grow at his name, "Did she tell you about me?"

"Why? Did you want her to talk about you?" Goku looked practically devilish, causing Vegeta's smile to instantly vanish.

"Kakarot, we will meet at the Namekian village 20 miles to the west to discuss further plans." He pointed casually in some direction. Bulma could hear the scorn littering his words. Vegeta was holding something back, some kind of teeming animosity towards Goku that Bulma didn't really understand.

Goku scratched his head, "Why there?"

"In two hours. My scouts and yours should be back by then. Any bloodshed before then and our deal is off."

"Same to you."

Vegeta nodded, "Excellent." He didn't give Bulma a second look. "You might not be as much as an idiot as I expected." And within two seconds, Vegeta was already out of her eyesight.

"Bulma?"

He was gone. Just like that. She had waited so many years to see him again, to see that he was okay and not rotting away on some satellite. She had waited and he was already gone, not giving her a second look, not doing any of the things that she had imagined he would have done, that she had wante- _I can't believe I'm seriously thinking about that_. But it was hard not to. She could finally see his face clearly. It was no longer just a hazy image in her mind, but defined. His pointed chin and nose, his muscled arms and legs (_really, he had to wear spandex of all things...)_, those dark eyes that seemed fully aware of everything.

She needed to stop. _This is supposed to be closure, not..not..._

Goku was next to her. It was then she noticed that, like Vegeta, he was incredibly warm. _Must be a Saiyan thing_. She glanced at him, his eyes wide with concerned. It immediately frustrated her. "Yes! I'm fine. Sheesh! Stop worrying about me!"

"But he's...I mean...you..."

She held her head in her hands and shook her head. "Vegeta is nothing, okay? Let's just do this deal and get this nightmare over with." She didn't realize how weird it would be seeing Vegeta again. Okay, so she may have been anticipating this moment ever since Raditz touched down on Earth, but no way was she mentally prepared for _that_. She had expected him to hate her...and he did, that was obvious. But what she hadn't expected was that his hatred would hurt her so much. Her chest was incredibly heavy, and those light tears from before were threatening to come out in floods. But she wouldn't let that happen. She wasn't some stupid teenager anymore. "You heard him, right? In two hours we'll have Gohan back and we can get off this stupid planet!"

"It can't be that simple though. What does he want from the dragon balls, Bulma?"

She shrugged, "To be stronger I guess. He...he has some issues with this guy named Frieza. He probably just wants to kill him." _But how, Vegeta?_ He wouldn't wish for Frieza just to drop dead. That wouldn't give him any satisfaction. _But would revenge?_ Bulma sighed. Actually, for Vegeta, revenge probably would have been deeply satisfying. She just didn't think he'd want it to be so...artificial. Vegeta had been training his whole life for the possibility that he could kill Frieza. Would the dragon balls really provide him with what he needed? Sure, Frieza would be dead, but then what? What would Vegeta do with all that new power? What would be his goal then?

Goku cringed, "And that's okay? We should just let that happen?"

She wasn't really sure how to answer that. "Frieza's a tyrant. Look, I'll explain more later, but if you think _Vegeta_ is something to worry about, you have no idea."

Goku sighed and looked back up to where Vegeta flew off. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner, Bulma. He hid his ki."

_He what?_ Bulma shook her head, "He didn't know how to do that before."

"Maybe he learned after you left."

_Maybe he learned from Gohan._ Though why he would want to help his kidnappers was beyond her. _Unless they told him about Frieza_. "And don't apologize, Goku. I signed up for this. I can handle myself, got it?"

He nodded, "Yeah." Her friend looked back down, face quizzical. "This Frieza guy...he must be pretty strong, huh? He could be a good fight, I mean, if he's really evil and all. Maybe we can help Vegeta."

Bulma's thoughts stopped. In no way would she have ever expected Goku to want to help Vegeta. But it did make sense. Goku was never one to back down from a challenge or let evil just run amuck. And despite that being an incredible option, she _knew_ how strong Frieza was. She couldn't let Goku fight him. He wouldn't survive. "..No Goku. That's not a good idea."

"If you say so, Bulma. You know this stuff better than me."

She nodded and picked up her magazine, still a tad shell shocked. "What do we do now?"

The fighter next to her shrugged, "We wait."

* * *

Gohan stared at him curiously when he came back to the cave. Vegeta was sweating, taking off his white leather gloves and practically throwing them on the cave floor. _I should have killed her right then...why didn't I kill her? _His mind kept spinning. _What was that third class rat doing with her?_

Vegeta immediately spun around to stare at Gohan, who still had that stupid, worried look on his face. "I didn't kill him." Though every cell in his body really he wished he had.

Gohan immediately relaxed, letting his tail swish and sighing. "He's a good guy! You saw that, right?"

"All I saw was him and that blasted Earth woman."

This caused the brat to blink, "Earth woman?" Gohan seemed to be thinking. "...That's strange."

For some unknown and unwelcomed reason, Gohan's comment managed to catch Vegeta's interest. The Saiyan Prince turned to the boy and then sat cross-legged on the floor, chin raised high. He didn't want to think about what Kakarot was doing with Bulma. For some reason those thoughts made his stomach churn. Any man, let alone some worthless third class, touching her made him want to... He interrupted his own thoughts. "What are you talking about?"

"Back at home, we lived kind of secluded. It isn't like on Frieza's base with all those soldiers around. It was just me, Dad, and Mom. Hey! Do you think Mom came too?" Gohan grinned happily at the older Saiyan.

But Vegeta could only scowl. There was an energy blast already ignited in his hand, bright yellow and shining brilliantly in the darkness of the cave. In a matter of seconds, he was yelling furiously. The noise made Gohan duck for cover, tail wrapping around his waist before he flew outside. Vegeta had already let loose the ki blast, and the walls of the once solid cavern exploded in heaps of rubble and dust. The rocks paused midair, stopping at the sheer energy, and then collapsed down, safely surrounding the prince in his own destruction.

Two pairs of feet landed behind him. "...Um, is everything okay, Vegeta?" Raditz didn't take a step forward, too afraid of the now panting prince.

"Aw, couldn't you have waited just a bit longer before we started blowing stuff up?" Nappa sighed, "I want in on the action too."

Vegeta whipped his body around. "Shut up! Both of you!"

* * *

A/N:

thanks for reading guys :D I would absolutely love if you left me a review! they make my days here at good ol' college infinitely better! see ya soon!


	7. Fair Trade

A/N:

On time! Phew, am I cutting it close. Note: I wrote about...most of this in the past couple of hours, so excuse me for minor grammatical errors. This is what happens when I set arbitrary timelines for myself v_v

Thanks sooo much guys for all of the reviews and adding to favorites/alert lists-ness. you guys deserve fudgey brownies.

Special thanks to: _KayuraK, Marie Fortune, koii, Kitty6773, grumpirah, TheDeadlyColera, Annie, Ciel-Taylor Caine, Greendragonsheart, ZombieChick422, DBZ-Vegeta Love, Onba, Lady Lan, Jaylee-Rebel, Many Voices In My Heads, menga88, Lovee13, The Azu Soul Lilly, Kreion, Greenis my fav color, dyingdreamsv2, The0Blind0Writer_, _bimbosarahsurfchick_, _gue22 _(for ALL of your reviews! thanks!)_, MrSuperSaiyan__, Eure, BloddyXan-Xan, merlincrazy, Death101-Fox Version, HikariNeko33, applepie33, Sayian Queen, bvprincess23, MK08, dolce-bebe, YukiraKing, Merely-A-Victim, Cara2012, Jena08, FishTVCo, jhoom, boona, Girness, kickstartmyhart, ScoobyDoobyDee, joys, elleelle, WinryCherry101, __Haw Resf, _and _Veggie Luva New_.

HOLY SNAP. 300 REVIEWS? I LOVE YOU ALL.

Sorry for not adding my little weird tidbit replies...(sigh...rushrush). But I do appreciate all of your reviews :) I read them all (multiple times), and love to know what you all are thinking about my writing!

Disclaimer: I wonder if Akira Toriyama would trade me DBZ rights for econ textbooks...But until he agrees, I don't own DB/DBZ/DBGT.

* * *

_Fair Trade_

Bulma remained close to Goku, both of them staring at the sky. She tried to keep her thoughts grounded, thinking of little Gohan and how scared he must be, thinking of where the Hell her boyfriend was and why he wasn't back yet. But her thoughts kept drifting, getting caught in the wind and focusing on Vegeta. How Vegeta was alive, how he hated her, how he looked incredibly...

_Stop it._

This thought process of hers was getting annoying. Bulma stood up, leaving her forgotten magazine on the ground and retreated back inside the Capsule house. She never did get to take that shower of hers, and she really needed it. She heard more than felt Goku trailing behind her, undoubtedly a worried look plastered on his normally goofy face. He continued following her all the way to the bathroom door, until Bulma finally turned around, hands on her hips. "I'm _fine_, Goku. You can stop following me."

"I just want to make sure." He rubbed the back of his head innocently, and Bulma felt guilty for her slightly annoyed tone. It wasn't Goku's fault that he was always responsible for the well being of his friends. She had relied on him a lot when they were young, so it only made sense that Goku thought she still needed him now. She _didn't_ need him now though, not for her problem with Vegeta anyway. He could protect her from all the big, bad monsters and aliens he could, but she didn't need his protection from Vegeta. That was something she had to figure out on her own. _ There's nothing to figure out_.

Bulma turned the handle, half walking into the bathroom while her eyes still had a stare down with Goku. "How many times do I have to say it?"

"You can say it how many times you want, Bulma." He shrugged, his innocent expression seeming to fade with something more omniscient in his eyes. "I'll understand though, if you want to come with us."

_Huh?_ She was not expecting that. Maybe the opposite. She could expect Goku to ask her to stay here, where it was safe, where she wouldn't have to see the Saiyan Prince ever again. "What?"

"Don't get me wrong. I like Yamcha. But that guy did seem pretty angry. I bet he missed you a lot when you left."

She couldn't help but snort. "Chichi really did hit your head pretty hard, huh?"

Goku just smiled and took a step back from the bathroom. "You're our negotiator, right? You must think you have some kind of power." He shrugged and turned around, "And we all know that it's not physical power...at least not the same kind me and the guys have."

"Goku!" Was she really hearing this? "I'm taking a shower now." She let out an agitated sigh. "And I'm not going to seduce him to get your son back!"

"...I never said that!" The Saiyan said embarrassed. He turned around suddenly, "Though you did say that you didn't want us to fight..."

"Goodbye, Goku!" She slammed the door with as much force as she could muster, back settling against it as her chest rose and fell. Bulma groaned, incredibly exasperated. She switched the water temperature to hot and speedily stripped down, anxious to just block out the past hour. _Where's Yamcha?_

She was incredibly glad he hadn't been here to see that. Her reaction to Vegeta hadn't exactly been completely innocent, and she could only imagine what Yamcha would think. Or what he would do. That was potentially dangerous, most definitely deadly. It wasn't about her pride anymore. She couldn't let her stupid old teenage feelings surface when Vegeta was around. Otherwise Yamcha wouldn't make it back to Earth.

Krillin and her boyfriend were back by the time she got out of the shower. Apparently Goku had already explained the situation because both Krillin and Yamcha were murmuring about why the Saiyan Prince would want to meet at a Namekian village.

"You'd think he'd want to keep his appearance a secret. Not really the best idea to just broadcast that he's after the dragon balls." Krillin sighed before falling down on a nearby couch in the living room. He rested his feet on the coffee table before continuing, "Perhaps we should go tell Guru."

"Huh?" Bulma sat down on a nearby chair, blue hair wrapped sloppily in a towel. "Who's that?"

She tensed slightly as Yamcha approached her, partly feeling anxious, partly feeling guilty. _Get a hold of yourself. _But Yamcha didn't appear to notice. "He's apparently the father of all the Namekians. They reproduce asexually, you know. Like how Piccolo just popped out of that egg thing."

"Yeah, I know." Bulma's tone was slightly frustrated. She didn't need an explanation about that. "So what?"

"Apparently the kis we initially detected were Namekian. Some guy named Nail and another named Guru. He unleashed their hidden potential." Goku grinned, "Wow, guys. Maybe I should pay him a visit later too. Your kis definitely increased."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, "Why would he do that?"

"To stop the Saiyans," Yamcha said happily. "He knows they're here and even offered Nail if we had any trouble with them. Four against three. Not such bad odds."

Bulma silently gulped.

Krillin grinned, "Hey, maybe that means this whole Saiyan battle thing won't be a total death sentence. Am I right, Goku? You got a reading of one of them, didn't you?"

"Not really, Krillin. He was hiding his power level." Goku scratched his head, "It was difficult trying to see how high it really is."

Yamcha shrugged, "Maybe he's just that weak. Whatever, I'm ready." He cracked his knuckles and sat down on the arm rest next to Bulma, who was straining from keeping her mouth shut. She didn't want them to fight. Hell, she didn't even want them _meeting_.

"We should get going soon." Bulma rubbed her hair vigorously with the towel. "He doesn't like people to be late, Goku, and that village is pretty far away, right?"

The Saiyan nodded. "Okay sure. Do you want Yamcha to fly you over?"

She was about to say yes solely based on habit, but immediately stopped herself when she noted Goku's expression. He seemed to be thinking the same exact thing as she was, which was a first. They couldn't make Yamcha a target like that.

"I can fly you over if you want, Bulma," Goku offered, earning a strange look from her boyfriend. But the Saiyan ignored the weird stare. "I can handle it."

She laughed it off, understanding his meaning but not admitting to it. "Sheesh, I'm not that heavy, Goku. I'll just take a Capsule plane."

"You sure, Bulma?" Yamcha stood up. "I don't mind at all."

"What if you guys need to fight though? They might need you, and I'll have to go. The plane will be easier."

They all made their way outside, Bulma with wet hair, no makeup, and a small capsule in her hand. She fought the urge to try to look nice, reminding herself that they were here for _Gohan_, not some re-imagination of a wish gone horribly wrong. Vegeta was an asshole, a murderous jackass. He was damaged and vengeful and _short_. There was no one to look nice for.

"Just follow us. Okay, Bulma?" Goku was still looking like she was going to break down any second.

"Roger." She let loose the capsule plane and stepped in.

* * *

Gohan was squirming in his armor, obviously anxious. His hair was wild and black, much like a Saiyan's, and Vegeta could tell that for some reason it was bothering him. "Would you please stop moving around, brat? The Namekians will hear you."

All four of them were camped a few yards away from the small village, hiding under the weirdly thin trees. Raditz and Nappa were mostly keeping to themselves. They were too busy abiding Vegeta's orders of looking out for the Earthlings to pay attention to Gohan's excessive fidgeting.

"Sorry, Uncle Vegeta." The little boy sat down, giving up on trying to get his hair flat. "But if Mom's here, she won't like how long my hair got..."

Vegeta grunted, "She should be happy that you're alive." He half swore to himself that if Gohan dared to mention his mother one more time he would snap...again.

"I guess so..." Gohan scrambled up suddenly, tiny fingers pointing at the sky. "Look! Look!"

Nappa grinned and patted Gohan on the back. "Good job kiddo. There's the weaklings."

"My dad isn't so wea-"

Raditz interrupted Gohan's protest. "Should we go meet them now, Vegeta?"

"Yes." He hovered slightly off the ground. "Radditz, take Gohan. Make sure he doesn't run off."

Raditz nodded and grabbed the little boy's hand. It half disgusted Vegeta to realize the boy seemed to calm down at Radditz's familiarity. But the Saiyan Prince shook that off and faced Nappa, "You get our other leverage."

The bald headed Saiyan grinned, "Yes, sir." And then he took off.

Vegeta watched the village nearby, grinning as Nappa demolished a house in one blast. _A demonstration_, was what they would call it on purges. Purely an example if the stupid aliens decided to actually rebel. Of course half the time Frieza ordered everyone's deaths anyway, but there was no reason to cause chaos. That just made the job harder.

Nappa continued the slight wreckage. He hit some older Namekian to the ground and proceeded to round everyone else into a tight circle, one hand raised, ki blast ready.

It had gone easily, as expected. Vegeta smirked at the simplicity and flew off, landing squarely in front of the group of green aliens. He had lucked out, slightly. There were apparently no warriors currently residing in this village. That much was easily distinguishable from looking at the small group. However, there were some small children, which could only add to his bargaining chip. The sadistic grin was hard to shake.

"I'm sure my subordinate here has already explained the circumstances you currently find yourself in." He began to pace, dark eyes directed straight ahead. "It's quite possible that all of you will die before we leave, but it is also possible that you live. Better odds than you expected, no?" Vegeta stopped and crossed his arms, huffing at the blatant fear stretched across their green faces. "Your job is to not talk, not move, not to do _anything_ that might incite Nappa here from blasting the antennas off of your head."

"You're Frieza's minions, aren't you! We won't obey anyone from the Cold Empire!" It was that older Namekian, the one on the ground, bleeding purple from Nappa's strike.

Vegeta's smile fell and he raised his hand, yellow light bathing and destroying the already fallen body. He turned back to the group of green aliens, "And that is what happens when you don't follow the rules."

Gohan was quivering, he could hear it, but Vegeta refused to look at the little boy directly. Despite his lengthy stay with them, he had never seen any of the Saiyans take someone's life. _It was bound to happen_. Vegeta turned his back from the group of Namekians, staring at the dots in the sky passively.

They had obviously saw what he had just done. It was likely they had a more accurate reading of his power level too. _Perhaps that's why they aren't approaching_. But Vegeta immediately disagreed with himself. Kakarot was too anxious to get his brat back to suddenly back out now. _Then what are they waiting for?_

His question was soon answered by the small blue plane hovering behind him. The three fighters landed slowly with the plane, and out emerged _her_. Vegeta immediately grimaced, feeling his stomach involuntarily tighten.

"Ha, Vegeta, look." Nappa was laughing. "This is great. You can finally get your revenge."

"Revenge?" Gohan walked up a bit, dragging Radditz with him. "Hey! My dad! And there's that guy Krillin too!"

Raditz pulled Gohan back a bit, "Which one is that, Gohan?" Vegeta looked at Raditz painfully at the question. Raditz shouldn't have been that curious about the stupid Earthlings, but Vegeta just hoped the third class was just asking for pure tactical information.

"The short one! He's a fighter too! He trained with my dad when they were younger."

"And the other one?" Vegeta questioned. This one was taller, with scars marking his face. He noted they were all wearing the same color uniform. "Did he train with your father as well?"

Gohan shrugged, "I've never seen him before...but it looks like he was taught by the old man too!"

_Old man? _ Vegeta didn't give it a second thought. The Earthlings' training didn't really matter. If they didn't follow his orders, they'd be nothing more than dust.

Kakarot was the first to approach them, his dark eyes serious and fists clenched at his side. His face seemed to lighten when he spotted Gohan holding his brother's hand. "Gohan!" The third class immediately started walking towards the boy, but Vegeta raised his hand, stopping his motion forward.

"What do you think you're doing, Kakarot? This wouldn't be a fair trade if I just let you take the boy now, would it?"

The bald and scar faced fighters were now approaching with that same look of hatred in their eyes. It was a look Vegeta was all too familiar with, and it didn't bother him at all. But the girl...the girl who was no longer a girl but a woman, had some other expression. It reverberated some memory in is mind, some distant image he thought he had put to rest. As she shuffled behind the fighters, Vegeta saw the almost lightness in her blue eyes, the lack of fear, the look of almost _pity_.

It disgusted him to think that such a weak creature like her could ever pity him. Was that the reason she had stayed with him for so long? Because she had pitied him? And then when she finally had enough, she let herself get wished back or she went back herself or whatever the fuck happened back then. It didn't really matter, not anymore.

"I thought killing people broke our deal, Vegeta." Kakarot's voice was gruff. He was staring at the pile of burnt carcass that was once that Namekian elder.

Vegeta shrugged, "There'll be even more blood on your hands if you don't tell us more about these dragon balls."

There was a collective gasp from the group of Namekians, but none of them dared to speak up, not with Nappa's hand directed towards their bodies. But Kakarot didn't flinch. He stood there, stoically, and Vegeta had the passing thought that for a second, he actually appeared like a _real_ Saiyan, not some Earth bred weakling. But he wrote the thought off as soon as the moron opened his mouth. "Gohan, you can come over here now. Daddy will protect everyone."

Vegeta turned back to the half breed, and smirked when the little boy shook his head. "He quite liked his stay with his real Saiyan family, Kakarot. Perhaps we should keep him from you a little longer." No way did he have any intention of doing that. Sure, the boy could be an asset with fighting Frieza, but with Vegeta's wish, they wouldn't need that. And besides, Gohan was making Raditz a little too soft for his liking.

But he was enjoying the rise he was getting out of Kakarot. The younger Saiyan's power level spiked up significantly, confused and most likely upset by his son's reaction. The short, bald one standing next to Bulma was muttering something about _Stockholm Syndrome_, but she just shook her head.

Vegeta's eyebrows narrowed as Bulma walked forward, slowly at first, with her head cast downwards and her hair blowing softly against her face. Her hair looked nice like that, short with those straight bangs. His fingers tingled softly at the physical memory of that hair. It was silky and soft, so different than the rough coarseness that he had. He remembered those light blue strands slipping through his fingers as he played gently, holding her close to his body, her small, fragile frame held so tightly to his own. She looked up then, with those pitying blue eyes, and Vegeta attempted to snap his thoughts back. He was here to kill Frieza and possibly her, not to relive some idiotic time in his youth!

But those thoughts also seemed to go away when her hand rested on Kakarot's shoulder, "He's a smart kid, Goku. He knows that we should listen to Vegeta. Otherwise people will get hurt."

"No way, Bulma. We're not listening to some psychopathic aliens." This was the scar faced one talking. Vegeta raised one eyebrow at the look he was giving the woman. He was definitely concerned for her, that much was obvious, but the look seemed almost _possessive_, which sent a shock straight through the Saiyan Prince's spine.

"You will." Vegeta used his voice to turn his mind off. "Or I won't hesitate to kill you and then go to your stupid planet and destroy that as well. You will help me get the dragon balls."

"You don't need us," Bulma said, taking her hand off of Goku and stepping closer. "You can just ask them, can't you? Why go through all of this, Vegeta? Just give us Gohan and have your stupid wish."

For some reason, that last line had bothered him more than he would have ever thought. "It is not some _stupid_ wish, Woman. You know why this is so important. You know what I must do."

"I know...but you don't need..."

"My men have been ordered to not use their scouters." He watched her eyes flick upwards to Raditz and Nappa. "We would have no way of tracking the next village, and I would not risk Frieza spying on us when I can easily obtain them in a much easier way. Your inconvenience does not concern me. Don't be such an idiot." Vegeta didn't turn to notice Nappa's expression. As far as Nappa knew, they were here for Frieza, to protect the Cold Empire from some crazy (if even existent) Namekian device.

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!"

It was that scarred face one. _How weird. _ Vegeta expected Kakarot to be the one to object to such a thing, but the third class Saiyan didn't move a muscle. The scarred face human, however, looked practically livid. Vegeta scoffed. "I'll talk to the annoying wench however I please. I am the Prince of all Saiyans. I do not need to listen to weaklings such as yourself." _Moron._

"Yamcha, don't." Bulma gulped and grabbed the scar faced one's arm. They were too close for Vegeta's liking, too close that his stomach began to swish and burn with acid. And the weakling actually listened to her, calming down and stepping back in line with Kakarot.

Kakarot also seemed less angry. He was looking at his son, some weird, foreign expression occupying his face, and then he glanced back up to Vegeta. "If it's that important to you, Vegeta, we may be able to help. Just tell us what you want to wish..."

"No. Absolutely not." He spoke quickly, not giving Bulma or Gohan or Raditz the chance to reply for him. Nappa was not to find out about this. Yes, it had been a risk bringing the old Elite with him, but Vegeta needed the extra muscle, and Nappa was still much weaker than himself that there was no actual reason to worry. But this was no time to risk a potential, although slight, mutiny. "My wish does not concern you."

"Then I guess we won't help you."

The Saiyan Prince shrugged at Kakarot's comment, "Then I guess you won't see your son ever again."

"Daddy!" Gohan was crying slightly but still clinging to Raditz's hand. "Daddy! Please just help them! They have some really, really bad..."

"That's enough, Gohan!" Vegeta cut him off sharply and then redirected his eyes to Kakarot. "As I said, what I plan to do is none of your concern. But do know that the dragon balls will be mine, and that if you try to stop me you will..."

"Wait, Vegeta!"

_What is she doing?_

Bulma had interrupted him, running up to stare at him straight in the face. Her hands were planted on her hips, as if she were trying to appear tough or strong or the least bit intimidating. It was most definitely failing. Yet that didn't stop her from talking. "You can't just make those kinds of threats to my friends!"

"Hmph." He wanted to push her away, but there was something about their proximity that kept him standing. "And why not? I owe you nothing, Woman." He vanished in front of her, closing the small gap between them. Vegeta rested his lips right above her ear, letting his fingers feel the silky hair tendrils once again as he whispered, "But you owe me _a lot_."

His body was roughly pushed away from Bulma, and Vegeta blinked in surprise. But it wasn't Bulma herself that pushed him aside. It was that scarred human Yamcha. "Don't touch her! Don't you dare touch her, you asshole!'

"Yamcha...please." She was trying to pull him back, and the fool actually seemed to listen.

Vegeta could only cross his arms in confusion. He found his sudden possessiveness over Bulma rather disgusting. She shouldn't belong to such a weak, pathetic creature.

But Yamcha obviously thought the opposite. "You're lucky buddy. If I wasn't here to watch my _girlfriend_, you'd be lying on the ground begging for mercy right now."

Vegeta could only laugh at that. It was a soft chuckle at first, but then exploded into full out, stomach keeling laughter. He didn't know what Yamcha had meant by the term _girlfriend_, but the mere thought of such a deplorable fighter ever making him _beg_ was downright hilarious. Nappa's whining voice stopped the sudden fit, "Vegeta, can't we just kill these guys and get on with it?"

"Don't be so rash, Nappa." Raditz pulled Gohan closer. The child was full out crying right now. "We need their information."

"They're not giving it. And Frieza doesn't want us staying here too long. Let's just kill the bastards and move on. Vegeta, I'll let you have the girl." There was a slight pause before he felt like adding, "To actually _kill_ this time. No more pets."

"Shut up, Nappa." Vegeta calmly walked forward to stare down Kakarot. He was the strongest fighter out of all the Earthlings, that much was obvious, but he hadn't said much. He didn't even mention anything about his son again, which, if Raditz was any indicator, seemed rather strange for a third class. The prince was momentarily stricken by their height difference, but that never really bothered him in the past. One Galick Gun and Kakarot would be nothing but stumps anyway. "You have three seconds to tell me how to use and find the dragon balls or all the Namekians die. Are you ready?"

Kakarot made no response.

"One."

Nothing but air and whimpering green aliens.

"Two."

Kakarot shifted a little, his black eyes looking at _Bulma_ of all people. Like she was going to be the one to... "Wait!" And she was. The stupid woman had actually dared to interrupt him, _again_. "Wait, Vegeta. I'll help you find them." She was shifting through her pockets. "I'll help you use them."

"Stop it, Bulma!" It was Yamcha again. He grabbed her hands this time, their fingers interlocking, and Vegeta had to push back the small amount of bile. There was something infuriating about their interactions, something that made his fists immediately clench.

She shook her head, "Me for Gohan. It's the only way."

"Just give them the radar. They only need the radar, Bulma." The bald one...Krillin, was talking now.

"So what? He collects them all and wishes for world domination or to be super powerful and we're stuck with some crazy Saiyan out in the universe?" What was meant as a whisper came out clearly. Bulma half covered her mouth, but sighed, seeing it was too late.

Yamcha was fuming, "He'll kill you!"

That thought caused Vegeta's smirk to increase.

"Well it'll be better than all of you and Gohan."

"Let me go. I can call the dragon too. I have a better chance of..."

She leaned forward, resting her chest on top of Yamcha's and sliding her hands through his hair. Bulma was speaking in a low whisper now. "I'm the one with experience, Yamcha, remember? I'm a pro at interrupting bad guys' wishes."

"I want the woman." He didn't intend to phrase it like that. Hell, he didn't intend to say that at all. He just hated how close they were. How seductive she seemed to be to the moron. They needed to be separated. They needed to stop touching each other like that. It was absolutely revolting.

Nappa immediately growled, "Not again...Vegeta..."

"You heard me." Vegeta ignored his subordinate's grumblings. "The boy for the woman. Fair trade. Better trade for you even."

Bulma nodded slowly, "Fine. Deal."

"Are you sure, Bulma?" It was Kakarot this time. But he didn't have the same desperation Yamcha seemed to posses. He was only looking for clarification, which Bulma gave with a simple head gesture. Kakarot returned the nod, "Alright then...thank you, Bulma."

"It's my fault this all happened, anyway...really." She walked away from Yamcha and over to Gohan. "You can go back to your daddy now, okay, Gohan?"

There was some sense of relief that Gohan didn't seem to recognize her. That meant Kakarot and Bulma hadn't mated. Vegeta found himself internally cursing that he almost wished they had. To be replaced by a Saiyan, even some low grade third class, could have been barely tolerable. But to be replaced by some scarred, human slug? Vegeta gritted his teeth, "Go to your father, boy."

"Uncle Vegeta?" Gohan wandered towards him. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Hmph. Go to your father. Try to teach him what it means to be a real Saiyan."

The little boy nodded slightly, wild hair covering half his face. "Yes, sir. And Uncle Raditz...Uncle Vegeta...and even you, Mr. Nappa...I hope everything goes well."

Raditz couldn't stop smiling. The idiot. "Take care of yourself, Gohan."

Gohan nodded and ran up to his father. Kakarot immediately grabbed his son, hugging him tightly before looking back to Bulma. "Please be careful, Bulma."

"I told you, Goku. I can handle myself." Bulma was staring at Yamcha, her face surprisingly unreadable. "Trust me."

Yamcha was still incensed, but he bridled in his anger. "Bulma..."

"Don't worry." Her voice was so soft, so gentle that it made Vegeta nauseous.

Yamcha took a step closer to where Bulma was standing, almost side to side with Vegeta. He sighed deeply but didn't reach towards her. "I love you, Bulma."

Within an instant, Vegeta's hand had moved from his side, contacting with Yamcha's temple and sending the fighter's body slamming to the ground. He then raised his arm to stop Bulma from moving forward, but that didn't stop her from hitting him squarely on the back. "You bastard! Why'd you do that?"

Vegeta grunted and turned around to let Kakarot and Krillin pick up Yamcha's unconscious body. The Saiyan Prince shrugged and grabbed her wrist, trying to ignore how warm her skin felt even through his gloves. "He talked too much."

* * *

A/N:

I'm sure some of you were pleased with that ending...ha. thanks for reading guys :D and drop a review if you want! see ya next week!


	8. Complications

A/N: I like cutting it close. Huh. Anyway, let me say again, how wonderfully fabulous all of you are for reading, reviewing, and favoriting this story. I feel so special whenever I get a new fanfic email :D It makes me smile. THANK YOU EVERYONE.

Special thanks to: _Renae724_, _KayuraK, The Azu Soul Lilly _(Fanfic goddess has to be the best compliment I have ever received. :D), _TheDeadlyColera, Greendragonsheart, dyingdreamsv2, Many Voices In My Head, koii _(Nappa's a sketchy guy...)_, dolce-bebe, The0Blind0Writer _(Vegeta did a lot of training for Gohan :D, he's almost on Cell Saga awesome level, minus the SSJ part)_, joys, DBZ-VegetaLove, Alex274 _(for your two reviews! and I KNOW. so many. i'm in awe.)_, kickstartmyhart_ (Ah! Thanks so much for the plug :D I'll have to go check it out now!), _Black Diamond07_ (it did feel awesome :D), _jdboss1, YukiraKing, ScoobyDoobyDee, elleelle, reodavle, apple pie 33, Jena08, Eure _(I understand you just fine :D I hope you get everythin in my story!)_, Onba, BloodyXan-Xan, gege, MK08, ZombieChick422, gue22 _(ha, whoa, I didn't realize I made Son Goku so appealing! ...you'd think I'd be trying to do that with Vegeta more...ha, but glad you enjoyed it!and thanks for multiple reviews!), _bvprincess23 _(I hope you continue to keep count :D), _Girness, Jaylee-Rebel, Thesuckiestwriterofforever, crazykk2, boona, FishTVCo _(I love writing Vegeta's PoV!), _mulayhna, Greenis my fav color, bimbosarahsurfchick (_ this writing speed is turning into a habit...not good), _Naughty Cat, Sayian Queen, Tessa _(Oh my! I hope everything works out D:), _piscesgirl55_ (yeah! Vegeta realized the whole Bulma/Gohan mother thing last chap!), __ no name?, Death101-Fox Version, _and _miikodesu._

Thanks guys!

Also, I edited last chapter because for some reason I spelled Raditz's name with two d's. it was bothersome. if you noticed this mistake, sorry! I'll eventually go back and edit everything...but probably not for a long while.

Oh! And I wanted to be super duper exited about hitting the 500 mark for _Make A Wish_! I'm sure many of you have contributed to that review count, and I thank you all so much :D

Now on to the things you care about!

Disclaimer: Nope, I'm not Akira Toriyama, meaning I don't own DB/DBZ/DBGT.

* * *

_Complications_

He expected that Yamcha wouldn't have been too happy with him, but not this angry. He wasn't exactly sure he had ever seen Yamcha lose his cool so easily before. But then again, maybe the situation did call for it.

"I can't believe it! How did you just let that happen? Don't you care what happens to her at all?"

Goku blinked and took a step back from Yamcha. The once desert bandit quickly recovered from Vegeta's less than honorable hit, all thanks to some small Namekian child named Dende. Goku decided to ignore Yamcha's outburst for now, "I want to thank you again for healing my friend, Dende. You sure surprised me with that!"

The child shook his head. He was tiny, reminding Goku slightly of Piccolo when he was younger. But Dende's smile was much more pleasant, much more serene despite the circumstances he suddenly found himself in. It made him think that, perhaps, if Piccolo had lived, he could have been this way...eventually. Goku had seen glimpses of honor, of a noble fighter, when they had both faced off Raditz together. And his once enemy even died trying to protect his son. But if only he could convince the others that wishing Piccolo back would be a good thing...

"Goku! Are you even listening? They just kidnapped Bulma! _Bulma_! We have to go get her back." Yamcha grabbed him by his gi, turning him around furiously. "Who knows what they'll do to her! Those bastards..."

"They're not!" Gohan suddenly blurted out, letting go of Goku's hand for a second. "They were nice to me. Daddy, they made me stronger, like you always wanted me to be. I'm not...I'm not afraid of things anymore, not like I'm used to. They made me brave."

Krillin raised an eyebrow, "I guess that much is true. This kid was afraid of waves before..."

"Mhm. But they helped...well not so much Mr. Nappa, but I don't think Uncle Raditz and Uncle Vegeta really like him much anyway..."

"Vegeta...he's the one who hit me, right?" Yamcha scoffed. "Look, Gohan. They're bad men. Your uncle kidnapped you and brainwashed you. And we're going to stop them from doing anything to Bulma, okay?"

Gohan narrowed his eyes, wrapping his tail tightly around his waist. "I don't know you, mister, but if Daddy's stories are true, you attacked him and that Bulma lady when you first met. But now you're his friend!"

Goku cracked a grin, but Yamcha was not as amused, "That's different."

"How?" Gohan wasn't trying to be smart, but he was just genuinely confused.

His confusion only seemed to grow when Yamcha made no retort. This trip was a mess. It was great, beyond wonderful, that Gohan was back with him, safe and unscarred. Though Chichi might not have liked his new fighting ability, Goku had to admit he was slightly surprised and proud of his son's relatively high ki. _Who knows how powerful he could be...he's still so young._

"Gohan's right." Goku patted his son on the head.

Krillin's mouth fell wide open. "You can't be serious. You want us to _trust_ those guys? And what? Help them find the dragon balls?"

"No...he's right that they deserve a second chance. We need to find out their real motives for wanting the dragon balls."

"No, Goku." Yamcha interrupted, "We need to get Bulma back! Am I the only one concerned that she might be dead right now?"

Goku knew that wasn't true. Bulma wasn't stupid, and she certainly didn't have a death wish. She wouldn't have so easily handed herself to the Saiyans if she didn't have some sort of survival or escape plan. _That is...if she even wants to escape. _ He couldn't explain that thought really, about how he could just tell Bulma wasn't totally against being around the Saiyans...especially the one that nailed Yamcha in the head. And that Saiyan seemed pretty willing to accept Bulma for Gohan. Sure, Bulma did know about the dragon balls, but they didn't need her if they had the radar. If anything, she was just deadweight. But he couldn't exactly say that. "I care about her too, Yamcha. She's one of my best friends."

He didn't like his harsh tone. He never meant to sound so serious, especially since Yamcha seemed to be inwardly beating himself up over becoming unconscious so easily and letting Bulma be taken like that. Goku patted his friend on the shoulder. "We'll get her back. I promise."

"She will be okay!" Gohan nodded reassuringly and then turned to Dende, "And I'm sorry about that man Uncle Vegeta killed..." Gohan shook his head before exhaling. "He doesn't mean to. I know that sounds silly, but Uncle Raditz says he's like a baby."

"...yeah, a mass murdering baby," Krillin muttered.

"I hope you can forgive him one day." Gohan held out his hand, and Dende slowly took it, smiling somberly.

The small Namekian didn't really say anything, but then turned to Goku, "If you find the dragon balls, Porunga can wish him back. Those men...they seemed like Frieza henchmen, but their loyalty..."

Gohan's eyes grew in recognition. "They hate that guy! That's the bad man!"

Dende nodded, "He's known to be a horrible overlord. He takes over planets only to sell them off."

"Sell them? Are you serious?" Krillin was practically laughing with nervousness. "Those guys were pretty tough...he knocked Yamcha out with one hit. And then there's some even _more_ powerful alien out there? What do I get myself into..."

Goku, however, was incredibly curious. "Do you know more about this Frieza?" Bulma had mentioned his name before, but was reluctant for his help. _Why?_ He was never one to back out of a challenge. He was never one to _lose_ a challenge either...not with a full stomach anyway. And after training under100x gravity, he was stronger than he had ever been before.

"No, but I know someone who might..." Dende slowly hovered over the ground. "Follow me."

Krillin looked at him agape, "You can fly?"

"All Namekians learn how to fly at a young age. Please, we need to hurry and talk to Lord Guru. He'll know what to do."

Goku scratched his head, "Hey...isn't that the guy you two met before?"

"Yeah. Good idea, Dende. Let's hurry. We need to save Bulma as soon as possible." Yamcha unclenched his fists before taking off the ground, standing midair next to Dende.

Goku reached to pick up his son, but Gohan shook his head, flying easily on his own. His sudden power was incredible, admirable, and despite his initial anger at his brother for stealing his only son, Goku had the strangest thought that it was for the best. The boy had been nothing like himself when he was a child. Gohan had the normal Son curiosity, but no courage to drive it. He had been morally sound, but not brave enough to stand for what he believed in. This Gohan...this Gohan was different. "Dad, are you coming?"

"Yes, Gohan." Goku flew up ideally and then reached out to pat Gohan on the shoulder.

But the five year old responded quickly, rushing into his father's arms for a tight hug. "I really did miss you, Dad. Don't get me wrong, Uncle Raditz...he was nice to me, but I missed you and Mom a whole lot."

"I missed you too, Gohan." He patted his son's black hair lightly before looking back to Yamcha.

"Did Bulma know them?" Gohan blinked, something clicking in his mind. "Was she the Earthling that Uncle Vegeta always talked about?"

Yamcha turned, "What do you mean by _always_?"

"...Nothing. He actually didn't really like talking about it at all, but whenever I mentioned wanting to know about it because Earth was where I'm from, he'd always get really angry and..."

"Never mind, Gohan." Yamcha sighed.

Krillin patted him lightly on the shoulder after meeting them in the air, "Well that explains why he decked you..."

"Krillin..." Goku began.

"And at least we know that they probably won't be killing her, well at least not before he..."

"Krillin, let's just go see Guru." Goku glanced in Yamcha's direction. He used to be a confident fighter, never really any sense of worry unless Bulma was yelling at him or when he had been terrified of girls. "She'll be okay, Yamcha. She knows what she's doing."

His dark eyes seemed dulled when he looked back to Goku. "That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

This was eerily familiar. She didn't think the memories would come back so easily; it had been twelve years ago. But they did. They were slow at first, rising into her brain like soft bubbles coming up to breach the air, but the way Vegeta was holding her, the way his heat radiated through her skin as the wind flurried passed their aerial bodies, made them burst through her brain. Not so much memories...but feelings. How anxious she had been on Frieza's space station, how confused. How she was head over heels for _Zarbon_ of all people. How she was so worried about how Vegeta would fit into her life on Earth. _Vegeta...on Earth. _

It was a stupid thought now, an impossible thought. She should have wished him there when she had the chance. How could she have not? How could she have left him in Frieza's hands to rot? _He must hate me._

But his face was expressionless. Vegeta was only looking ahead, keeping her body over his shoulder like some dead carcass. He stopped suddenly in the air which made her shift forward, but if the Saiyan Prince had noticed, he certainly hadn't reacted. "They're not following us." His deep tone was uneasy. "Woman, what's going on?"

She didn't rightfully know herself. _Why aren't they?_ She felt a dig of uneasiness in her chest. None of her friends were following them? Not even Yamcha? Did Goku really have that much faith in her? "Good." It was what she wanted. She didn't want any of them to die. "I thought you just need me anyway."

"Hmph." Vegeta levitated down and carelessly tossed her on the ground before taking a step back and crossing his arms. He raised an eyebrow, "I don't need you, Woman. I need the dragon balls."

"And you need _me_ to get them." Bulma stood up and brushed herself off. She raised a finger, poking Vegeta in the chest defiantly. "And you, mister, need to be a little nicer to me if you want my help. I'm helping you stop the monster who's been plaguing you your whole life. The least you can do is show me some respect!"

"Respect? You think you deserve respect you cowardly wretch!" He was practically spitting with anger, "I owe you _nothing_, not even the privilege of keeping you alive. You hear me? This will not play out like twelve years ago, Woman. You will not so easily lie to me. I will not fall victim to your stupid promises. I'll sooner kill you." His black eyes sparked with energy at his words. He was infuriated, perfectly livid. His whole body tensed and quaked as he spoke, causing Bulma to edge back in slight fear.

And she was...afraid of him that is. She never thought she could be, but her heart was quickening with what could only be fear. Vegeta was furious with her. More than furious. He wanted to kill her. He seemed to be restraining himself from killing her as he spoke. She didn't know what exactly happened before she got wished back. She had been waiting for Vegeta to return, waiting to bring him with her to Earth and then _snap_, she was gone.

"You will do everything I say. The less you talk, the more breaths you will take in the future." He was turned away from her now, not allowing Bulma to see the anger that matched his tone.

Nappa and Raditz were hovering a safe distance above, probably uncertain of what their prince intended on doing with her. _I guess that whole lover thing is out_. There was no way anyone would believe that one with the cold display Vegeta was showing. "Does Nappa know?"

To her surprise, Vegeta turned back around. He glanced back towards the sky, noting that Nappa was clearly out of earshot. "Don't be an idiot. Of course he doesn't know."

"Does Raditz?"

"Yes."

That actually surprised her. She hadn't really expected Vegeta to trust anyone...not after the little speech he had just given her. But a part of her was relieved that Vegeta wasn't holding the secret to himself. "What exactly do you want with them?"

"You don't know?" He raised an eyebrow and took a step closer to her. Whatever fury Vegeta once had seemed to be slowly fading. He let his arms fall to his side. "Immortality."

_...what? _ "Why?"

"Do you not remember?" His frustrated tone was back. "Zarbon told you himself. There is no possible way for a mortal to beat the demon. I need to be..."

"No, Vegeta." She was shaking her head, though she knew he would never listen to her. "Don't be an idiot! Wishing for immortality is good for now, sure, but do you really want to live forever?"

Vegeta smirked, "I fail to see the negative."

"Everything around you will eventually be gone! And the phrasing...you could live forever, but it could be forever as an old man! You could just keep aging and aging and never really actually..."

"WOMAN!"

She stopped talking. Vegeta was dangerously close to her now, noses almost touching. Bulma blinked several times, not sure how exactly he got there, and, for once, not liking their proximity to each other. His heat felt dangerous, like blue fire, and it was then she noticed there was this weird aura surrounding him, like when they would fly, only this one _was_ blue-almost on the verge of turning yellow. But Bulma didn't back away this time. She placed her hands on her hips, staring the Saiyan Prince in the face. "Sorry if I just popped your bubble right there, buddy. But you're going to have to come up with something better than that."

Vegeta growled in dissatisfaction, making Bulma grin before continuing, "And don't even _think_ about wishing him dead. The dragon can only kill people that their creator can."

"What the Hell does this have to do with dragons? Are you saying these things are literally..."

"Ew, no! But you'll see what I mean. That is, if you don't kill me before we get them all."

He huffed, "As tempting as that is, I think I'll manage."

Bulma was suddenly reminded at the distance, or lack thereof, their chests were to each other. His upper body felt hard, harder than she had remembered, and she couldn't get those images, her dreams, out of her head. Sure, Vegeta was alive now, but how close was he to death in the past twelve years? Did her abandonment look bad to Frieza or Zarbon? Or had he just been training all of this time? She gulped and hoped for the latter.

He still had that power, she noticed. It was unbelievable. So wild, so different than what she had become familiar with Yamcha. Vegeta was completely unpredictable. Scary or exciting, she couldn't tell. Whatever this was, it was making her blood rush.

"And I wouldn't give some stupid dragon the satisfaction that is mine." Vegeta took a step back, breaking Bulma's dangerous train of thought.

She couldn't be falling for this...not again. "And Nappa?" Her breath seemed slightly more flustered, but she chose to ignore it, trying to redirect her thoughts to fearing him again. It wasn't really working. "What does he think we're doing here?"

"Looking for some unknown Namekian device that threatens the Cold Empire."

"Cold Empire?"

"Frieza and his family's domain."

That word stung her. "_FAMILY_? You mean...there's more of that thing?"

"These things do not concern you, Woman. You are here for one purpose only and that is to find me the dragon balls."

"And how are you going to explain to Nappa that _me_, some lowly Earth woman, knows about some crazy Namekian device, huh?"

Vegeta shrugged, "You had a Namekian on Earth. Perhaps he told you. Raditz will cover the story."

"You mean Piccolo? Piccolo wouldn't tell me anything..."

Vegeta sighed, "Would you please stop talking? Nappa will believe whatever I say. If I deem it necessary that you come with us, then he will believe it."

She couldn't stop her mouth from talking. She was just too curious. "You know that it isn't actually necessary, right?" Bulma dragged the Dragon radar out from her pocket.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "Woman, do you have a death wish?"

Bulma shook her head, letting her blue hair fly behind her pink headband. "Not yet, Vegeta. But give me two more hours with you and I might change my mind."

* * *

She was absolutely infuriating. He didn't think it possible for someone to be so incredibly obnoxious in such a short span of time, but the Woman somehow managed. She was worse than Gohan, worse than Raditz, worse than the sickening combination of Raditz _and _Gohan. She was going to make him pull out his hair, that is, if he didn't accidentally blast her first.

Bulma was insanely curious about the Cold dynasty, and Nappa, of course, was happy to oblige her questions about the overlord. He explained to her that Frieza's father, King Cold, started the Planet Trade Organization which was now basically fueled by his more powerful, and youngest son. "And he's got an older brother too."

"Older brother? He must be more powerful..."

"Nah, Cooler's nothing compared to Lord Frieza. It's good to be on the winning army's side, am I right, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan Prince just grunted. He would never affirm anything good about being 'comrades' with Frieza. He half noticed Bulma glance to Raditz's direction, probably sizing up whether he was stronger than Kakaort. They were back in the cave, waiting as Bulma tried to fix whatever the Hell was wrong with her radar. "Woman, will you please stop using your trap and get back to doing something actually useful?"

"It's just...the frequency is off. It must be because we're on a different planet." There was something trembling about her voice, but Vegeta chose to ignore it. He had no doubt that Bulma wasn't a lying slug, but there was no need to get her infuriated and yelling at him again. That was just wasting time. The quicker he got the dragon balls and his wish, the quicker he can get his revenge on Frieza before the alien lizard sees it coming.

Nappa looked over from his corner of the cave, confused, "You mean, that device thing can find whatever threat we're looking for?"

"Um, yeah..." Bulma set the radar down. "It...um...detects certain elements that are indigenous to both Namek and Earth. I know you've never been to Earth, but the two planets are pretty similar. Same gravitational forces. Same basic atmospheric properties and density levels. It only goes to say that there are similar geological attributes found in the soil."

The bald Saiyan raised an eyebrow, obviously confused. "You mean...we're looking for dirt?"

Bulma shrugged, "Vegeta informed me that there is some sort of element that may be poisonous to Frieza's...umm...species of alien. He said we need to take a sample of it, and me, being a scientist and all, can analyze the toxic levels present." She smiled cockily and turned to the prince, "Isn't that right, Vegeta?"

_That woman. _ He couldn't believe how adept she was at this. She had basically constructed a whole scenario on the spot, not only explaining her little device she had there but also ensuring that Nappa won't kill her prematurely. In her scenario, they actually _did_ need her, not just the annoying, beeping device she held. Vegeta couldn't help his growing smirk. "Yes. Though I'm surprised your tiny brain will be able to help us."

"True. I haven't done a lot with soil composition...but my friends have." There was that annoying grin of hers again. "It may be in your best interest if you _don't_ kill them yet. You know, so they can help save Frieza."

_Absolutely ridiculous. _ "No." Her smile immediately deflated at Vegeta's abrupt disapproval. "When the time comes, I'll have Nappa dispose of them."

"Alright!" Nappa punched the air, ignoring Bulma's paling face.

But Vegeta didn't take back those words. When the time came, he would have Nappa go off with his little battle, and Vegeta would make his wish. He was sure Kakarot could keep the old Saiyan Elite occupied. _But what to do with him while I find them?_

He needed Nappa in case things with the Namekians went horribly wrong. There were fighters on this planet, fighters that he didn't want to get involved with. _Perhaps that will be a good distraction for the brute. _"Nappa, you and Raditz seek the Namekians with the highest power levels. Keep them busy. I do not want any interruptions while I look for the dangerous compounds."

"Are you sure, Vegeta?" Raditz moved over to the group, reaching for his scouter, but then remembering that he had no use for it anyway, not with Gohan's tricks.

"Do not question my direct orders, Raditz. Keep them distracted, but do not kill them. We don't need them angrier at us. And please, Raditz, don't let yourself get killed."

Raditz nodded, "And what if we run into Gohan and...the Earhlings?"

"You want us to take care of them, Vegeta?" Nappa asked eagerly.

"No." It was hard to not notice Bulma's bright smile when he said those words. The Earthlings meant nothing to him. But he couldn't help but remember Kakarot's offer. If worse came to worse, he would much rather form a team of third class Saiyans to challenge Frieza instead of going back to that hellhole. "If they do not attack, do not attack them. It's not worth your energy."

"They might have left anyway..." Bulma sighed, but there was a lack of honesty in her voice. She and Vegeta both knew that they wouldn't leave without her, that the stupid scar faced human was probably just waiting for her to come back.

* * *

Night never came to Namek. The planet had too many suns and no moons, which Bulma was incredibly grateful for. She had no desire to see the Oozaru, especially not _four_ of them. The Saiyans, however, were asleep, all except Nappa and her. _Stupid Vegeta._

He told her she couldn't sleep until she had fixed her radar. Too bad there was nothing for her to fix. Despite being on a totally different planet, the radar was working fine. She could already detect two dragon balls within a 500 meter distance. But she couldn't tell Vegeta that. She couldn't let him wish for something so stupid.

_Immortality? Really? _

Vegeta was being desperate. She could see it on his face. Bulma had thought the younger Vegeta had been incredibly strategic, always planning ahead, but the Saiyan Prince didn't even think of what he was going to tell Nappa about her. He didn't have any explanation to why he was keeping her alive when he so obviously wanted to kill her. _Unless he never planned on taking me at all._

But the way he had said it...that he wanted her...it made her neck run cold. She had missed his candor, his aggressive way of approaching anything and everything. Even when he had yelled at her, there was something positively alluring about it. He had fought with her, unafraid to get angry, unafraid to put her in her place. It was something no one else had really done before.

Vegeta was a grown man now, that was easy for her to see. But despite his maturity, Bulma could tell that the teenage boy she had met was still there. He was still wishing for the same things, a life with freedom, something so incredibly uncomplicated it should be innate. But Vegeta wasn't offered that basic right. She reminded herself that Vegeta had been held prisoner, forced to kill or be killed, for probably over two decades now. He was blood thirsty, a murderer, a monster.

_Then why do I want to help him?_

Nappa was outside, though Bulma didn't really know why. She supposed he was looking around for any signs of trouble, but then she heard him talking. It was low at first, but then she could hear his voice begin to rise. It wasn't long before Bulma was right by the entrance of the cave, leaning halfway out but still keeping herself covered from the Saiyan's view.

"He's up to something, Zarbon."

Bulma froze. She never wanted to hear that name again, not unless it came right before the words ' is dead'. She caught her breath and let Nappa continue, "He won't tell me exactly what's going on. Something about dragon balls and wishes...yeah, he said something like that to the Namekians and they all...what?...WHAT?"

That wasn't good. That was really bad. Bulma pressed her back against the hard rock wall, trying her best not to squeak.

"You mean...anything? Are you sure?...How did you...Raditz's scouter?...Oh! Yeah, that stupid Earth girl."

_Crap._ _Had Frieza been listening the whole time?_

Bulma couldn't believe it. Her blood felt icy at the realization that, not only did Frieza now know about the dragon balls, but that now there was a possibilty that he would come here.

* * *

A/N: and the plot thickens!

but of course, this wouldn't be Namek, if Frieza and friends didn't make an appearance.

Oh, and maybe now with Gohan's new bravery he won't go through that silly Saiyaman phase :P who knows!

hope you liked it guys :D


	9. Crossing Boundaries

A/N:

I know. I'm late. I had to get home last minute to do some stuff (nothing major, so no worries) and traveling from college to home is no easy task (ugh.). It also meant I had to get my work down five days earlier than originally planned, which unfortunately made me put fanfic on the back burner... BUT NOT FOR LONG. Extremely sorry for the wait, but I will post again at my regular late Wednesday nights. So don't despair! I know you guys missed me so much (sarcasm.).

And thanksthanksthanksthanks to _koii, XzCrimsonTearzzX_, _dyingdreamsv2_ (and thanks sooo much for your sweet PM! I AM alive, and I would have PM'd you back, but you disabled it...Oh, and Raditz did use his scouter to communicate with Vegeta when he first came to Earth!) , _Alex274, Linneh, Greenis my fav color_, _Black Diamond07, BloodyXan-Xan, ScoobyDoobyDee, miikodesu, YukiraKing, menga88_ (oh...well thank you :D), _Naughty Cat _(huh, i wondered if you saw this chapter coming...)_, MK08, apple pie 33 _(yay! I glad I can make reviewing fun! reviewing makes writing [more] fun!), _Many Voices In My Head, Death101-Fox Version _(hehe. Gohan's my absolute favorite up until he goes all Superman), _bvprincess23 (_Oh Yamcha...he'll score a point one day...maybe), _Katie Loom, jdboss1 _(I don't like Saiyaman, I'm keeping it at that), _Eure, kickstartmyhart, The Azu Soul Lilly, Jaylee-Rebel, Tessa, Gindorg091, DBZ-VegetaLove_, _Lady laide_ (oh man, Gohan is a main character...I guess I'm a little bias...), _Trixie-chan _(for both of your reviews), _merlincrazy, bimbosarahsurfchick, Onba, Winrycherry101, Greendragonsheart _(no sweat, I'm late updating!), _svabutterfly_ (course I remember! and take your time :D), _Haw Resf _(hi! And I understand you just fine! I'm glad you're liking the characters so far!)_, Cara2012, Ja ne, Kat, Sayian Queen _(You'll just have to see!), _Girness, joys, Azul serenity _(reviewing always helps :D), _DBZer16, Cloud Envy Shikamaru, _and _Beauty Eclipsed_.

Did I mention I'm sorry for posting this late? Oh I did? Let's do the disclaimer then:

Disclaimer: It'd be totally awesome, but nope. Don't own DB/DBZ/DBGT or anything else remotely canon.

Oh! And I semi-apologize for the boringness that is this chapter. It's only a semi apology, because it needed to be written for foundational purposes. More interesting things (fight scenes! hooray!) will be on the way!

* * *

_Crossing Boundaries_

There was a large island up ahead, almost like a plateau or a tower composed of only rock and grass. It pierced the Namekian landscape, standing out, a giant on the plain. Goku raised an eyebrow but continued flying closer. "Is that where Guru is?"

Dende nodded and led them further, landing gently on the rocky surface. "Nail!" The small Namekian was suddenly running forward to a taller alien, so similar to Piccolo, Goku had to do a double take.

"Dende, you brought the Earthlings back with you." Nail walked forward giving Krillin and Yamcha reassuring looks. His attention then strayed to Goku and Gohan. "And who are they?"

"Hi! I'm Son Goku. This is my son, Gohan."

Nail made a slight frown. "You're Saiyans..."

"Yeah, but we're not connected to that Frieza guy."

"Goku is one of us. We thought Guru could help him unlock his hidden potential as well as Gohan's." Krillin gestured Gohan inside. "Would that be okay with Guru?"

Nail made no response, but just silently led them towards what had to be the biggest Namekian Goku would ever see. He stood there, shell shocked at the giant green alien, seemingly rotting on the throne. Guru was old, probably ancient. Older than Kami, which was incredibly hard for Goku to imagine.

"Nail, who did you bring here?" His voice reverberated across the high ceiling Namekian house. "Two I recognize, but the others...they're Saiyans."

"Only half!" Gohan raised his hand, "Are you Mr. Guru, sir?"

"Lord Guru," Nail corrected firmly. "He's our father."

Nail went on to explain something about a drought so disastrous that practically all the Namekians died and how Guru was the one responsible for the Namekian dragon balls and about how Piccolo's grandfather or father or great grandfather (Goku couldn't really remember) had left Namek to escape the drought and apparently that was the reason why Earth had dragon balls to begin with. If he had to be honest, Goku was zoning out, trying to track the other Saiyans' kis. He knew Yamcha was extremely worried about Bulma, and rightfully so. She apparently just sold herself to some (slightly) homicidal alien who seemed to also be her ex-boyfriend.

Though Goku couldn't wrap his head around that. Bulma was sending two very different signals. She didn't seem afraid of Vegeta, that was extremely obvious. But why had she never mentioned him before? He remembered wishing her back with the dragon balls, but Bulma hadn't mentioned where she was or anything about Vegeta or anyone else. _If she really liked him, why didn't she wish for him to come with her? Why didn't she tell us? _ The Saiyan took another glance at Yamcha, watching as Guru finally stopped talking and raised his hand over Gohan. _Why is she dating Yamcha?_

But no one's kis were rising. Bulma's was hard to tell at times because it was so low, but there was no flicker, no nothing.

"Dad?"

Unless it had something to do with that Frieza guy. She had seemed so concerned about it, not even wanting him to help Vegeta when she clearly didn't want them to fight either. Frieza could be the reason for why she made no mention of her stay with the Saiyans. Even a young Goku, _especially_ a young Goku, would have found a way to try to help. And if Frieza was that powerful, it would certainly mean death.

"Er...Goku?"

Goku blinked at his best friend's voice, scratching his head before idly smiling. "Oh, sorry guys. Must have zoned out there for a minute. What's up?"

Nail narrowed his eyes at him, but Goku didn't flinch, "Lord Guru was just offering to unlock your power."

"Unlock? Does that mean no training? I think I'll pass for now."

His friends noticeably recoiled. Krillin stuttered, "Go-Goku, are you sure? We could take those Saiyan guys, especially with your power up."

_What would be the fun in that? _ He was never one for the easy way out. Some would call it stupid, but Goku lived for adventure and challenge. "It's not the Saiyans I'm worried about."

Guru moved, inching up on his throne to stand up straight. It was then Goku noticed the one star dragon ball, much bigger than the one he was familiar with on Earth, right above his head. "He's right." Guru's deep but semi-sleep inducing voice drew Goku back. "There are beings with extremely high power levels headed towards this planet as we speak."

The Saiyan's eyes expanded, "Frieza..."

* * *

Bulma lay rigid against the stone wall, fingers digging in and collecting dirt between her skin. She had not just heard that. There was no way that Nappa, as idiotic and creepy as he is, could ever be that much of a traitor. To spy on his own prince? To risk everything they had-

She flinched back, her breath seeming to escape fully from her lips. What loyalty did Nappa have to Vegeta? He never really treated the bald, older Saiyan with any ounce of respect. Vegeta could be...hard to live with, she knew that, but to actually bring Frieza here? She outwardly shivered at the overlord's name. She never wanted to see him again. That was a part of her past that was better left forgotten.

Her blue eyes glanced away from the opening of the cave back towards Vegeta lying on the floor, a black tube shaped sleeping bag covering only half of his torso. She thought she had remembered him being calm when he slept, the lines of worry vanishing under the fresh youth of his skin. He was free then, in his dreams, but Bulma had the sense that now, even in his sleep, he was trapped. His angled, sharp eyes were harshly drawn towards his nose. He looked stressed. No, not stressed. Stressed was her yelling at her secretary for filing documents wrong or accidentally ordering too many circuits. Vegeta was not just stressed. He looked worried and concerned and a bunch of other emotions Bulma would never know how to experience. Her radar sat a yard away from him, and she half wondered if she would continue to pretend it was broken.

_Frieza or him?_

She didn't want him to wish for immortality. He'd regret it.

_You could always wish him to be mortal again later._

But that was too risky. Too hopeful in the fact that there would _be_ a later. _Frieza..._

She needed to tell him. That was too dangerous a secret to keep to herself. But she also needed to get Vegeta what he wanted, just if it meant Frieza wouldn't get it.

"Just one." Bulma whispered lightly to herself. "We want no one making a wish. Just one to play keep away." She moved to grab the radar, unknowingly placing her body over his face. He moved beneath her, very slowly, as if wondering what had suddenly blocked out the dull light. Bulma hesitated over him. She held the silver metal device in one hand and with the other, she reached down towards his lightly tanned skin. The weird need to touch him...to feel his hot skin on hers, was so overwhelming that it only seemed natural. Moth to flame. Fatal attraction. Call it whatever, but she found herself complying to her emotional rather than rational side-which kept whispering _he will kill you_.

One finger first, then the other. His cheek was so smooth that it actually surprised her, feeding her need to touch him further. There was left over dirt, she noticed, staining his face and she quickly wiped it away. His features seemed to soften at her touch, and she half grinned in satisfaction that, maybe, she still did have some power over him. _He'd never admit that though_.

"What are you doing?"

Bulma fell on her hands, dropping the radar at the sudden deep voice from the Saiyan Prince underneath her. "...huh?"

His eyes flitted open, and Vegeta sat up. To her extreme relief, he didn't look infuriated or incredibly pissed or even somewhat annoyed. He looked...curious, which was practically all the more disturbing. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "You were touching me."

"That a crime?" She fumbled back for the radar, her actions not matching with the smooth nature of her tone.

Vegeta was taken aback by her lackadaisical confession. "Touch me again, Woman..."

"And what?" I was just trying to wake you."

He smirked, "Then why are you surprised by your success?" Vegeta crossed his legs, compact body still on the ground. "This better be good, Woman."

"What?"

"Why you woke me." His black eyes grew, "I'm assuming it was for a reason. Or are you that much of a fool to just..." Vegeta trailed off and suddenly grabbed her, bringing her closer to his body, his nose brushing against her cheek. His lips rose quickly to her ear, and Bulma had the sudden question in her mind as to why she had waited so long to touch him. But whatever romantic speech she was waiting for quickly vanished when Vegeta's voice came out slow and coarse. "Where's Nappa?"

"Vegeta..." She backed away. "We need to talk."

"I don't have time to play your stupid games. Where's Nappa?"

"That's what we need to talk about."

He gruffly stood to the ground, eyeing Bulma and then turning to a sleeping Raditz. "Fine." With one full motion, Bulma was lifted off the ground, half between Vegeta's elbow and mid section. His arm was wrapped firmly around her waist, digging harshly into her abdomen. But, as always, she didn't have time to retaliate. Vegeta was already laboring outside with her in tow. He stopped briefly when he spotted Nappa hunched in a corner, quickly hitting buttons on his scouter. Vegeta looked at the other Saiyan warily. "Any news?"

"Brat's power level increased. Don't know how. Maybe we should check it out eventually."

Vegeta didn't answer. "You can sleep now Nappa. The Woman and I will be back soon."

The bald Saiyan rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you're doing this again, Vegeta. You don't remember what she did to you? How messed up you—"

"You really need to learn when to hold your tongue." His voice edged on threatening, and it was just enough to send the taller, older Saiyan back into the cave, mouth held shut. "He has no right to even begin to dictate what the fuck I want to do."

Bulma squeaked, his grip tightening in his anger. "...can you put me down?"

"And neither do you!" He blasted off suddenly, and Bulma felt her stomach swerve. She was grateful that she hadn't eaten for a while, otherwise it might have been strewn across the air. But the flight didn't last long. Vegeta halted suddenly and descended, dropping her on the ground and then crossing his arms. "Now what' s so fucking important?"

"...you were messed up?" That wasn't what she had meant to say. She was supposed to be outing one of his comrades, but instead, she found her seemingly perpetual girlish mind concentrating on what Nappa had just said. "When I was wished back...were you okay?"

He didn't answer for a while but just stared at her, crossing and unfolding his arms as if that movement would somehow be enough to communicate what he meant. But Bulma didn't' let up. She approached him further, hands at her side but blue eyes directed solely on his face. "I didn't mean to leave you, you know. I didn't want to leave you, Vegeta. I wanted to bring you to Earth with me. I wanted you with me."

There was still no answer from the Saiyan, and Vegeta was making it excruciatingly hard to read his facial expression as well. He was completely stoic, eyebrows or mouth or even nose never moving. She could only see his chest rise and fall through the padded armor. "What did you want to talk about?" His voice was even but hard, and Bulma inched back in defeat. _This isn't the time for this. _

"Nappa was talking to Zarbon about what we're really doing here."

Vegeta huffed, "That's ridiculous. He wouldn't betray me like that."

Bulma placed her hands on her hips, "And why wouldn't he?"

"He's a Saiyan first and foremost. Nappa has seen the Saiyan Empire for what it was for much longer than I did. Though his subservience to Frieza is absolutely revolting, he would be a fool to answer to the lizard when he could serve a Saiyan king again."

She blinked at his comprehensive answer, internally reminding herself that _of course_ Vegeta wouldn't have been that stupid to bring Nappa unless he was certain Nappa would be loyal to him over Frieza. What Vegeta didn't seem to realize was that Nappa didn't seem to _like_ him at all, which didn't make for a solid allegiance. "Vegeta...please listen to me. I heard him. He was talking to Zarbon and telling him about the dragon balls. He was ratting you out!"

"Shut up, Woman. I will not have your ridiculous notions ruin my plans."

"They're not ridiculous!"

The air around Vegeta seemed to pick up its own current. "I will not fall victim to your lies."

"I'm telling you the truth!" Her tone swayed from desperation to anger. "Why would I lie?"

"Why would you leave me!" The rush of air increased tenfold, swallowing Vegeta in its own funnel, like a flame tipped tornado. Bulma fell back, not out of fear, but from the sheer energy Vegeta's body seemed to be producing. The Saiyan Prince just breathed, chest rising too high as if to chain in this sudden rush. His fists clenched together as his mouth made an appropriate snarl. "I trusted _you_ and _you_ left me. I believed what _you _said and _you_ just fucking left. _You _were going to wait and _you_ fucking didn't." Vegeta powered down, snapping in front of Bulma, teeth bared. "There is not one goddamn reason I should ever listen to what your sniveling mouth ever says again. You are here to find the dragon balls. Not be a spy. You already failed miserably at that."

"I didn't though, did I?" She was never one to back down from a verbal fight, regardless if it were with a super powered alien prince or not. "I got close to Zarbon like you asked. I found out things about Frieza like you asked. I did everything for you, Vegeta, out of the naïve hope that you would have helped me. Maybe if it didn't take you so long to find the actual coordinates, I wouldn't have left you on Karbos!" Her pale face felt pink, and she knew she was probably splotchy from her yelling. She scoffed seeing Vegeta glance from her face to her rising chest, but in an instant, his black gaze was back up, waiting for her to continue.

When she didn't, the Saiyan Prince merely growled. "I should have killed you the moment I saw you in my room."

"Maybe." Bulma poked him squarely in the chest. "But you didn't. Maybe it was for a reason. Maybe it was because I'm the one person in this universe that actually wants to help you, Vegeta." He recoiled from her touch, but Bulma pressed on, destroying the distance between them and forcing him to look into her blue eyes. There was that flipping, rolling stomach feeling again. The kind that spun through her spine and ended up low in her gut, a hard mixture of acid and something she didn't quite recognize. "Because I do, you know. I want to help you."

His scowl fell slightly, and she could see his shoulders start to give way, relaxing under the comforting promise of her words. She didn't want him to hate her, so seeing him finally relax in her presence made her smile. Vegeta turned around, facing the camp. "Nappa was using the scouter. I specifically told him not to wear it unless he was tracking power levels."

"Goku said you can sense ki now."

Vegeta turned at her words, "Yes."

"Did Gohan teach you?"

"The brat had several uses."

Bulma couldn't help her boldness. "Was one of them to get me?"

The pained expression on his face was easy to read, and his clear frustration with himself made Bulma giggle a little. "You know, you don't _have_ to hate me Vegeta. I know that you feel you should, but you don't."

"What you did was unforgivable."

Her heart fell at how easily he said those words. "I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I'm just asking..." _What am I asking for?_ She fell to the cliché. "If we could be friends again."

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, "We were never friends."

* * *

"How exactly powerful is this Frieza guy?" Krillin shuffled on the floor, face looking skeptically at the giant fish Goku had caught, filleted, and cooked (ki blast style) a few moments ago. "You seemed pretty freaked out about him, Goku."

Goku didn't answer directly but looked instead to his son, who seemed incredibly upset over the name. They had left Guru's version of the Lookout a while ago, all of them left spinning over the idea of some even _more_ bloodthirsty alien coming their way.

"He's gotta be more powerful than the Saiyans." Yamcha took a huge bite of the fish, unafraid of Goku's less than ideal cooking. "Dende said they looked like Frieza _henchmen_."

Krillin gulped, "That's not good."

"He's terrible." Gohan said softly, managing to quickly garner all of their attention. "He treats everyone like they're his pets or slaves. He blew up our planet."

Goku narrowed his eyebrows, "Huh? What are you talking about, Gohan? The Earth's fine."

"Not Earth, Dad. Planet Vegeta."

Yamcha growled, "The asshole has a _planet_ named after him?"

"Had," Gohan corrected. "Uncle Raditz said that Frieza was afraid of some old legend...something about Super fighters."

Goku raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued by that thought. "So what did he do?"

"He just...killed them all." Gohan let his tail swish behind him, self consciously glancing at the floor at all of the sudden attention. "That's why Uncle Vegeta is so mad all the time! I'm sure if the bad monster was just gone, he'd be real friendly!"

Yamcha scoffed, "So you actually want us to _help_ them Gohan?" The bandit hated the notion.

"We may not have a choice. " Goku crossed his arms, head raised to the sky. "If Frieza is coming here, like Guru said, he's probably not just coming for Vegeta, Nappa, and my brother." The last word felt weird to him, but Goku decided it was the right choice. Raditz was his brother, no matter what circumstances led them to each other.

"You think he wants the dragon balls too?" Krillin asked, "And what about that whole close squad-thingy that Guru mentioned? How many did he say were coming?"

"Five." Gohan held up his hand, "And he said one was really, really, really-"

"...We get it Gohan. They're strong. Maybe we should just high tail it out of here while we're still alive." Krillin sighed and sat on the ground, orange gi getting covered in brown dust.

"We can't. We promised Guru we'd wish back Piccolo." Goku said, ignoring the pained looks of his friends. "We may need him, guys. He was pretty loyal to us on Earth. He'll help us out here."

"Fine, Goku. If you think Piccolo will help us then okay. He's the least of our problems at the moment, and at least will get the dragon balls back on Earth. What do you say Yamcha?" Krillin popped back up, nudging the seemingly lifeless Yamcha in the shoulder, "Err...Yamcha?"

The full Saiyan's dark eyes turned back down, unsure whether to judge Yamcha with pity or annoyance. It wasn't like him at all to get annoyed with his friends-with anyone really, but Bulma, as awful as it was to think, was not what they needed to worry about now. And Goku was pretty sure that Yamcha wasn't really even worried about her safety, just their relationship. He hid his inner frustration with a light hearted tone, "Hey Yamcha, still got the one star dragon ball?"

Yamcha finally nodded and held up a capsule, "Yeah I got it."

"Alright then! Let's do what we do best guys!"

Gohan blinked, "What's that Dad?"

"Hunt dragon balls."

* * *

He could feel himself cracking already, the blue haired demon woman already seeping herself deep under his skin, making him sweat and poisoning his mind with ideas of pure foolishness. Vegeta didn't want to believe her. He didn't want to think of the possibility that a member of his tiny squadron was actually betraying him, not because he didn't think the idea to be impossible but because it completely fucked over his plans. He didn't want anything to ruin this. This would be _his _moment.

She was grabbing his hand now (_damn Woman..._), leading him back to the cave. There was this nauseating sensation riding through his body, enhancing every time the Woman would turn her head and stare at him, obnoxious blue eyes so wide. "What?" His voice was shrill, just as he had attended.

"Just making sure you're okay back there." Bulma glanced at their connection and quickly dropped his hand, "Sorry...you probably don't want me to touch you right now."

He ignored the part of him that thought the complete opposite. "We finally agree on something."

"Ha, ha," Bulma rolled dryly. "But we should really be getting back. Stop Nappa from causing more damage, you know?" Her hair caught the outer edge of a gust of wind, causing Vegeta's eyes to follow the blue strands, almost hypnotically. He silently cursed when he realized where his attention strayed. Bulma seemed to realize it too, "Um, Vegeta?"

He didn't even bother to voice his frustration, opting instead for a low grunt and glare.

"I just want to know what you plan to do, Vegeta."

"With Nappa?" _Or you?_

"Yeah. Are you going to...kill him?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow and coolly walked over. He crossed his arms, half smirking at the fact that Bulma didn't inch away as he approached. "I think I'll let your friends take care of that one. I have more important things to worry about."

The color drained from her already pale complexion, "What?"

"He should keep them busy enough as we search for the dragon balls." Vegeta continued to close the gap, "I'm assuming they haven't abandoned you here. Or were they just as anxious to get rid of you as I am?"

"Look, _Prince_ Vegeta. You are not going to send Nappa out on some hunt for blood. I _willingly_ gave myself up to save them."

Vegeta sniffed and stepped closer, "Rather willingly." Their eyes caught for a moment, and Vegeta held her gaze, held those blue eyes directly in his head until Bulma dropped her chin. _What the fuck am I doing? _There was something drawing about her, something unmistakably alluring that it messed with all rational thought. Whatever happened to his resolve to kill her? His resolve to despise her presence completely?

He did still hate her, maybe not as much as Frieza, but it was weird how easily that line between hate and passion was blurred. He forgot how she had felt, her soft lips, her sweet skin. And the way her head angled was perfect for remembering...

"Don't let him kill anyone..."

Her words stopped his motion forward, but he didn't inch back. "You have so little faith in your friends." Vegeta kept his voice low, enjoying the soft shivers she seemed to make, "But maybe you should worry...those humans did seem incredibly weak."

Bulma's head snapped back up. "Don't talk about Yamcha like that!"

"Yamcha?" Vegeta scoffed, "He's the one I smell on you, isn't he?" It made him cringe. He felt utterly repulsed at the idea of the human's hands touching what was rightfully _his_.

He snarled. He did not just think that.

"He's my boyfriend, you asshole. Don't talk about it like it's something dirty."

"It's disgusting." His rebuttal was too fast.

That drew Bulma's attention, "And who are to voice your opinion? Huh? Just let the two weak humans be together so you can live forever and die alone! Have you even _thought_ about your future, Vegeta? Like, what you're going to do when Frieza's gone?"

"When Frieza's gone?" Vegeta felt some load suddenly fall of his chest. He was so close to her now that their chests were touching, their heavy intakes of breath feeding off of one anothers. He could feel the pressure, this sticky hot air seeming to form in the minute space between their bodies. Both of them didn't move.

Bulma nodded, "Yeah. _When_. Not if. I know you'll kill him. You have too much perseverance and anger in you to _no-_"

It was too quick for him to process, his mind muddled with her high voice, her girlish scent, her soft flesh. It was too strong. Too fast. Too hard _not _to do it that Vegeta just decided to fuck it all and just kiss her. Her lips were exactly what he had remembered. They were smooth, silky like her arms, her neck. She radiated this unknown heat, even though Vegeta was pretty sure he had much more energy inside of him than the fragile human she was.

His strong arms wrapped around her, pushing her closer to him even though Bulma was pressing on him enough. Her hands slid across his armor, reaching at the nape of his neck that sent hot waves down his spine towards his inner torso. They both fought frantically. Left over passion and hatred and energy just pouring into something that, when Vegeta finally could think coherently again, became immediately regrettable. He pushed her away gently, and her panting breaths became incredibly obvious. Vegeta ignored her rising upper body, the redness on her neck where he had touched perhaps a little too harshly, choosing instead for remembering that feeling of betrayal. She had left him broken. She would not earn his trust again. "Tell your pathetic _boyfriend_ about that."

* * *

A/N:

I'll get to writing more...thanks for reading guys :D and review if you want!


	10. Transformations

A/N:

Back on time! and at a fairly reasonable hour. Some quick notes about this chapter: it's super long. I had no intentions of making this part over 6,000 words, but it is...so I guess enjoy? Also, thanks to everyone who helped me break to over 400 reviews! Ah! So. Happy. I'm glad that people seem to be enjoying this sequel and keep the reviews coming! I love to hear what everyone thinks and how I'm doing. Special thanks to my reviewers from last chapter!:

_jhoom, elleelle, Beauty Eclipsed, Marie Fortune, The0Blind0Writer _(yeah, Nappa's not as strong as he thinks...), _ZombieChick422, Trixie-chan, dyingdreamsv2, Greendragonsheart, Cloud Envy Shikamaru, menga88, DA_ (wow thanks :D I like Goku better this way too. He's really not as stupid as some people portray him to be), _FishTVCo, miikodesu, YukiraKing, Many Voices In My Head, taity, Greenis my fav color, Gindorf091, jdboss1, bvprincess23 _(the yamcha count would be way too high T_T), _reodavle _(haha, fight scenes soon! promise!), _BloodyXan-Xan _(he's half guessing because Bulma hasn't really said anything, but he's bound to find out...), _Ladylaide_, _bimbosarasurfchick _(ginyu force or frieza? why not both? i mean, what?), _Jaylee-Rebel, Shirokame, Jena08, ZapZapYostuba, ScoobyDoobyDee _(I love writing Vegeta!), _KayuraK, gege, Cara2012, Linneh, Bvluver4ever _(AW TRUNKS. maybe. you'll see :D but that'll be a while), _boona, Eure, apple pie 33, Death101-Fox Version, Dallas, _and _MK08._

You know what's fun? Re-reading all my reviews while writing the author's notes, giggling and smiling at everyone's comments, and making my roommate look at me like I belong in a mental asylum.

I'm glad you guys didn't find last chapter boring! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own DB/DBZ/DBGT. Just manga and random video games.

* * *

_Transformations_

She just looked at him, mouth red, parched, and wide open. He was still horribly close to her. So close that she could practically feel the tension and relaxation of his muscles beside her. Vegeta wasn't out of breath at all, but she most certainly was. There was no air left in her lungs; the Saiyan seemed to just suck it right out of her, and all she found herself doing was staring at him, his lips curving into a trademark smirk.

The mental thought of what she just did finally clicked, and Bulma became stark. "What did you just do!"

"You need me to explain?" Vegeta's smirk only intensified.

"No! I need you to back away from me! Just don't come near me, okay?"

He grunted harshly. "What?"

"Bad! That was bad! Awful actually. I'm such a lousy hypocrite! UGH!" She fuddled through her pockets, dragging out the packet of cigarettes from her side. "Don't say anything to Yamcha. You can't say anything to him."

"Woman, what are you babbling about?" Vegeta crossed his arms, eyeing her cigarette in confusion. "And what the Hell is that?"

"Mind giving me a light, Vegeta?" She pointed a finger to the edge of the cigarette, and Vegeta followed with a miniscule ki blast on his finger tip. Bulma sighed in satisfaction, drawing the tube to her mouth.

Vegeta immediately coughed, grabbed the object from her mouth, and tossed it on the ground.

Bulma retaliated, "Hey! What are you doing?"

"That was absolutely vile. What the fuck are you doing to yourself? Poisoning your body?"

"It's not a poiso-...well, it is, but I'm trying to quit, I swear!" She grumbled and crushed the already broken cigarette for good measure. "It was just a de-stresser, really. That wasn't supposed to happen, Vegeta."

The prince scoffed, "Trust me. It won't be happening again."

She wasn't supposed to feel a pang of displeasure in her chest, but it was unmistakably there. Bulma huffed and crossed her arms, "Oh yeah? Then why'd you do it in the first place?"

He looked a little shocked at her question, but that surprise quickly dulled down to pure annoyance. Vegeta grabbed her arm, ignoring the obvious spark that went through their hands, and dragged her back towards the makeshift camp. Both Nappa and Raditz were on the ground, sleeping easily, and Bulma wondered if Vegeta still planned to relay Nappa's punishment. Her answer came quickly when Vegeta kicked the older Saiyan in the gut. "Wake up."

"Sir?" Nappa rolled up, gripping his belly. "Well I'm grateful. Not as hard as you usually kick me. Want me to wake up Raditz?"

"No," Vegeta said gruffly. "This might upset him if he finds out. You're to do a very important, secret mission for me. I'm sure even you aren't dimwitted enough to spill an _important_ secret." There was something telling in his eyes that made Bulma half smile. "Am I right, Nappa?"

Nappa didn't seem frazzled by Vegeta's request. "Sure, Vegeta. What is it? Want me to kill the girl?"

"Don't sound so eager..." Bulma grumbled.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "And steal me the pleasure? No, you have something much more important to handle. I need you to kill the Earthlings and Kakarot."

Nappa smiled immediately, making a fist before cracking his knuckles. "Excellent. Finally, some action. What do you want me to do about the half breed?"

"Please don't hurt Gohan!" Bulma whispered, making sure not to wake Raditz up. She'd feed Vegeta's plan, only because she knew that Goku would come through in the end. It might cause him some pain, but she knew that Goku, when it came down to it, would be able to defeat Nappa, no problem. She was just worried about everyone else. Especially Krillin. He had already been wished back once by the dragon balls, and who knows if the Namekian dragon balls would work for him or if they'd be restricted because of the Earth wish at all. _I wonder if it's even the same dragon? Maybe it's not Shenron at all. _

Vegeta gave her a weird look, probably unsure if she was acting or not. "Bring the brat back here. He has proved useful in the past. He'll retain our loyalty as long as you can feed him some poor excuse for killing his father."

"Anything else, Vegeta?" Nappa was ready to jut out the door. What a bastard.

"Yes." The Saiyan Prince gave Bulma a devilish grin and then turned back to Nappa. "It appears that the Woman's lover is one of the Earthlings. The scarred one. I want you to bring him back to me alive and preferably conscious."

Bulma gritted her teeth. _What? What does he want with Yamcha?_

Nappa seemed to have the same question. "Don't tell me you want me to _spare _him for her, Vegeta."

"Absolutely not. I want to torture him myself."

She froze at his words, cursing inwardly that she had let things get this far, that she would actually put her boyfriend in that much danger. That she _kissed_ the man that would be his torturer. She wouldn't let that happen. "Vegeta! You can't do that! Leave him alone! Leave Yamcha alone!"

Vegeta snarled, whipping around and grabbing her wrist, "Woman, do not even try to dictate orders to me. Shut up and fix your ridiculous radar. Leave the big decisions to people with a brain."

"No!" She stomped her foot, ripping her hands away from Vegeta's rather weak hold. "I won't let you-"

"Stop." He was millimeters from her again, mouth against her ear as he whispered lightly. "Do not wake up, Raditz. Do not ruin this."

Bulma found herself freezing again. She backed away from Vegeta, looking into his dark eyes, and dimly nodded. She had to keep reminding herself that Vegeta was manipulating Nappa, feeding the older Saiyan with tidbits of delusions he would want to hear. But she retained her act, "I hope you burn in Hell."

_He won't with immortality_. Bulma shrugged off that thought.

"Nappa, you heard me. Let me punish the wench first by killing her lover."

The older Saiyan grinned, "That's almost poetic, considering."

"Just shut up and go. I have other business to attend to."

Nappa nodded, "Yes, sir." And exited.

Vegeta waited about thirty seconds before grabbing Bulma's arm. "You need to keep that mouth of yours _shut_."

"I tend to forget sometimes that we're on the same side." Her blue eyes glanced to how roughly he was holding her. "I wonder why."

"You're too concerned about your precious boyfriend to think rationally."

"You're too concerned about your precious _wish_ to think rationally."

Vegeta let her go, but didn't back away. His body was still incredibly tensed in front of her, eyes narrowing at her smug form. She could see his tail tightening around his waist in defense. "This is more than just a wish, Woman. Frieza will be dead. Immortality will grant me that."

"There has to be another way, Vegeta."

"I agree with her."

Vegeta turned to the new voice in their conversation and immediately frowned at a now awake Raditz. "What do you want, Raditz?"

The long haired Saiyan shrugged and eyed Bulma and Vegeta's positions thoughtfully, "Am I interrupting something?"

Vegeta grunted and stepped away from the woman. "You actually agree with _her_? Are you mad, Raditz?"

"No sir. I just..."Raditz sighed before standing up fully. "Your immortality will surely mean Frieza's death, but it also means seeing the death of everything. Even the universe. Millions of years from now you'll be stuck here, alone."

Bulma grabbed his hand, surprised that he didn't immediately rip his own back from her. "You don't want that, Vegeta! You want Frieza gone, not everything gone!"

The Saiyan Prince snorted. "What's the difference? And it's not like any of you have any better suggestions."

"Actually..." Raditz scratched his head, making Bulma slightly grin. Maybe the two long last Saiyan brothers were more alike than they realized. "I was thinking of the possibility of the Super Saiyan."

That sounded kind of familiar to Bulma, and obviously Vegeta knew the phrase as well. He raised an eyebrow at Raditz's suggestion. "That's only a legend, something that hasn't happened for thousands of years."

Bulma shrugged, "Maybe you're due then. It's worth a shot. I kind of like you Raditz". She gave Goku's brother a congratulatory pat, earning a low growl from the prince beside her. "What's this Super Saiyan legend anyway?"

"It's the peak of our power. Stronger than the Oozaru, stronger than anything in the universe. The ultimate fighter." Vegeta crossed his arms. His head faced downwards, the shadows casting dangerously across his face. "It's even stronger than Frieza."

"Well, then...just do that then!"

Vegeta snarled at her ignorance. "Saiyans cannot _simply _become Super Saiyans."

"...Well then how do you do it?" Bulma blinked at the lack of a response. "We could ask the eternal dragon. He'll know. He can grant you the secret to your Super Saiyan myth—er, story."

She couldn't tell if Vegeta was happy about the idea. He must have seen the holes with immortality. He would never be killed, sure, but that also came with never dying. Seeing worlds being born and destroyed. Lasting centuries and centuries until the entire universe itself is nothing more than dust.

* * *

Guru had told them about the few Namekian villages scattered around Namek. There weren't too many left after the drought, but six of the villages held the dragon balls in possession.

"Nail should be waiting for us...he doesn't seem too far away." Goku got up and stretched from his recumbent position. "He got one dragon ball from a village close to Guru's place, and he's meeting us at the second. That makes three already!"

Gohan smiled, "Boy, this dragon ball hunting thing sure seems easy."

"I swear it was harder..." Krillin grumbled, "But hey, it helps when someone who knows exactly where they are is helping you find them all."

"He's making sure we wish back Piccolo...though I don't get why." Yamcha kicked the ground, trying to cover the left over embers. "They do understand that he was a bad guy, right? I still don't get why he wanted to team up with you, Goku."

Goku shrugged, "Easy. He didn't want Raditz messing up the planet he wanted for himself."

"...Well that's reassuring." Yamcha cracked his knuckles. "But I guess comparatively he's less evil than those Saiyans."

Gohan suddenly looked red. The small half-Saiyan walked over to Yamcha, a small amount of energy flaring from his body. "They aren't, Mr. Yamcha! I know you keep thinking that they're bad people because they stole that Bulma lady, but they aren't! It's Frieza! They just want a way out. That life is the only thing they know. They don't have a mom who forces them to study or a dad that actually cares about them. All they have is this really mean, evil alien telling them what to do. That doesn't make them evil, Mr. Yamcha, and frankly, I don't like it when you talk about my friends that way!"

"Whoa...whoa, Gohan!" Goku placed a hand on his son's shoulder, not entirely sure of where that outburst came from. "Easy buddy. You have to admit, they haven't really been exactly the best ...er, _allies_ to us. Yamcha has a right to his opinion." The Saiyan's eyes fell to his friend, "But he should be open-minded. We need to worry about Frieza, not the Saiyans. They aren't the real problem." _Do I really have to keep stressing this?_

The slight ki readings he had gotten from Vegeta were incredible. The Saiyan Prince was strong, perhaps stronger than him, and the fact that he was no more than a slave to this Frieza guy was a little more than troubling. Especially when Frieza was coming here. Goku needed to refocus his team of fighters. He could see the tension growing within Gohan. His son was torn between the home he had grown up in and his teachers. "Look, we're all stressed and we obviously all have different opinions about who we're fighting and what our goal is." Goku took a deep breath, "Krillin, we will get back to Earth safe and sound. I'm not sure if Piccolo's resurrection will also mean Kami will come back...but it's worth a shot. We need Piccolo as a fighter here. The dragon balls will be a bonus.

"Yamcha, we will get Bulma back. She's safe...I think we both figured that out by now." He scratched his head awkwardly, but continued, "I don't know much about what she went through when she first made that wish...that's something you'll need to talk about with her. But you can't let that distract you now. If we want to get out of this alive, we need you, Yamcha. All of you.

"And Gohan, We're not looking for a fight with Raditz and the others. We want answers. We want to make sure the Earth will be safe, that Bulma will be safe. If Frieza is as bad as everyone's saying he is, we'll help them."

Gohan's eyes widened, "You really mean that, Dad?"

" 'Course I do." He rubbed his son's head affectionately. "Now, let's get out of here and find Nail to get the..." Goku's attention suddenly trailed off. Something was coming, something definitely not Namekian. His dark eyes trailed over the green sky, but they saw nothing. Nothing but clouds.

A flash of ki was suddenly picked up, and Goku turned, followed by Gohan, Krillin, and Yamcha. Gohan relaxed a bit, recognizing the signature. "...It's Nappa. I wonder what he's doing here."

"Nappa? Isn't that one of the Saiyans?" Krillin's face suddenly turned serious.

The bald, tall Saiyan came crashing through the sky, landing with a thud and the sickest smile painted on his face. His black moustache twitched when he realized all of them had sense he was coming. "...Gohan." He nodded towards the young boy and then faced Yamcha, "...Those scars on your face...pretty nasty stuff."

"I rather not talk about it. What are you doing here?" Yamcha immediately relaxed, seeing the others abandon their fighting stance.

Nappa smirked, "You'll see."

In one quick movement, Nappa was behind him, grabbing Yamcha by the neck and hurling him to the ground, yards away. The old bandit, long time fighter, got up immediately, fury in his eyes, "Hey! What's wrong with you?"

"Nappa!" Gohan came scurrying up. "Why'd you do that? What's going on?"

"I think we got our answer about the Saiyans' alliance." Yamcha wiped a small trail of blood from his mouth. "Fine. We're better off. Let me take him."

Nappa grunted, "Please. Don't even bother. I'm not here to fight someone as weak as you." Nappa pressed a button on his scouter. "Kakarot, you're obviously the strongest out of everyone here. What do you say?"

Goku gritted his teeth. Things weren't supposed to be happening like this. He was supposed to be helping the Saiyans, fighting Frieza, not them. Gohan seemed to be in agreement. "What are you saying, Nappa! Uncle Raditz and Vegeta don't want you to fight us! You guys just want the dragon balls!"

"Hmph. Shows how much you know. Vegeta's the one that ordered me here to kill you all...well except you, Gohan, and the weak one over there." He pointed to Yamcha, which was completely unexpected. Goku thought, if anything, they would have picked him because he was at least Saiyan.

Gohan's tail wrapped protectively around his waist, and Goku marveled in how easily and swiftly his son fell into a defensive position. "You leave my daddy alone!"

"What do you want with me?" Yamcha seemed to be wondering the same thing. "Do you think...Bulma..."

"He's not saving you for her, if that's what you're getting at." Nappa cracked his wrist. "Trust me. After you find out what Vegeta has in store for you, you'll be begging for death."

"Stop it." Goku stepped out of his silent role and stared the other Saiyan down. He put a hand in front of his son. "Gohan, Yamcha, get out of here. I don't want to be responsible for any other captives."

Gohan shook his head, "No, Dad. I can help you. I know how he fights."

"Gohan, listen to me. Go meet Nail. That's very important right now. I'll deal with him."

Nappa laughed and crossed his arms, obviously sizing Goku up. "You couldn't even handle _Raditz_, and he's much weaker than I am. How do you expect to deal with a Saiyan elite?"

He didn't answer right away, focusing on Nappa's ki and power level. Goku wasn't very impressed. Sure, it was smaller than whatever power level Goku was currently emitting, but he could tell Nappa did not have the same ki control. This was him at full power, and it was pretty unspectacular. "I'll manage. And Krillin will help me."

"Err...right, Goku." Krillin nodded, gesturing the other two to leave. "We've ...got this."

"Fine, I'll take both you and baldy on." Nappa hovered a bit in the air.

Krillin raised an eyebrow, "It's _shaved_, and you serious? I wouldn't be calling the kettle black if I were you..."

The idiom went beyond both Saiyans' heads but Nappa was the first to respond again, making a harsh guttural nose as Gohan and Yamcha both flew off. "Fine. I'll just find them again after I make some dead bodies."

Light wind made dust airborne, dragging the blue sea of grass across the landscape as well. Goku ignored the bits of black hair that past over his face. His eyes never left Nappa, sizing him up, trying to understand why Vegeta had sent him here. "He wants you to kill us...is that it?"

"Is that so hard to understand?" Nappa grinned.

"Kind of agree with the psychopath there, Goku. What are you getting at?"

_His power level...it can't be right_. Goku was sure Vegeta would know his own comrade's power level; there was no way he couldn't, not with the scouter and his ability to sense ki. "...Read his ki, Krillin." Goku let it out as a soft whisper, and his best friend's eyes grew in happiness.

"...It's...so weak."

_Vegeta must know about our ki control. _Gohan had said that he was the one who had taught them the technique, after all. Where else did the Saiyan Prince expect Gohan to learn it from if not from his father?

Nappa grumbled loudly and clenched his fists. "How dare you! I'll show you, you little squirt! Behold! The true power of the Saiyans!" There was a silver light emitting from Nappa's right hand casting a ghoulish glow over his face.

"Hey!" Goku smiled slightly with recognition, "Doesn't that look like moonlight?"

Krillin gulped and looked at Nappa's tail, "Don't tell me..."

"Haha, so you guys know, don't you? Unlike you, Kakarot, real Saiyans have the power to reach their ultimate form, the mighty Oozaru!" Nappa jostled the ball of energy in his hand.

"...The mighty Ooo-what now?" Goku scratched his head, smile fading.

Krillin tried to reason with him. "And you may not want to do that...Gohan has a tail too, you know."

"Don't worry. I'll keep the range nice and close. You can thank that Earthling female for teaching us this little trick by the way."

Krillin panicked, "No! Wait!"

But the ball of energy was already midair, spiking the sky and causing the silver rays of light to blind the already bright atmosphere. Nappa laughed heartily and then stretched out his arms. The waves of moonlight reached down to his skin, causing the brown hairs of his tail to stand completely on end. They multiplied and spread across his otherwise white skin. Goku took a step back, a little worried. He had never seen this...giant ape in real life, he being the only one who actually transformed on Earth. He watched as Nappa's incisors jutted out of his mouth, expanding and growing with his head until the monster became nearly fifty feet tall. His eyes, bright and red, stood out of a now completely monkey like face.

"Go-Goku, we have to be careful. You were so much stronger in this form...even as a kid." Krillin raised a hand in a defensive block.

_What is this? _ Goku let his mind wander in slight amazement. Nappa's power level had increased exponentially, his ki seeming burning hot as compared to the warm mildness it once was. He twitched slightly, feeling the hard scar on his back burn in acknowledgment of the fake moon above. _Was I really like that?_

Nappa's giant ape form was roaring, waving his hands in the air, still, remarkably, in his Saiyan armor. One of his fur covered fingers cracked through the air, colliding and therefore demolishing a Namekian plateau.

It was wild. A monster under the soft moonlight glow, tail sweeping-

That was it.

Goku swerved his attention away from Nappa, facing Krillin instead. There was anger flooding his face at the realization, but Krillin had said it himself a few minutes ago. _He_, Son Goku, was able to become this monster as well. He had known to a degree, that there was something related to his blackouts and his tail and the moon. It was why they had implemented the early bedtimes at home in the first place once Gohan was born. "Krillin...this is the monster that killed my grandfather." The scab where his tail used to be was itching, and suddenly, it all made sense. "_I _was the monster that killed my grandpa."

* * *

_He had just returned from another training session, squared off against these greenish monsters in a small, dark room. They had called his battles impressive, something noteworthy to tell Emperor Frieza...whoever that was. He didn't think much of it. Even at the normally tender age of three, Vegeta knew that he was born to be powerful, that he _was_ powerful. There was no way some cultivated green fleas would ever leave a mark on him._

_Vegeta walked casually down the halls of his home on Vegeta-sei, red cape flitting at his heels, a marker of who he was, his heritage and birthright. Lower class Saiyans bowed at his approach. He was a prince after all; it was the least they could do. But Vegeta never really paid them much attention. He was used to other Saiyans' subservience in his short life. He was royalty, and it was only natural that he be treated as such._

"_Who are you?" He lowered his eyes at the third class Saiyan in front of him, an unnecessary addition to the Saiyan guard. "You're new. Why are you in front of the throne room like that?" He had meant to head straight to the throne room to report to his father, but the red bandana'd Saiyan had caught him off guard. That was a state Vegeta hated to be in._

_The third class speedily bowed, "Prince Vegeta, my name is Bardock. I've been reassigned to help watch over your father because of the..." His dark eyes looked torn at the moment as if he was resistant to relaying the truth to the young Saiyan prince._

_Vegeta could care less. He was hungry and needed to speak to his father before granted permission to eat. He wasn't sure why there were these new regulations, only that it happened that day they sent his brother away, not that long ago. "Fine, whatever. Just let me in."_

_The throne room was small, undecorated with poor lighting. There was only a single blood red carpet leading the way to the helm of dark wood christened the throne of Vegeta-sei. The curtains were let loose, blocking the soft glow of Vegeta-sei's red atmosphere from permeating throughout the room. All that was left were the dim lights and Vegeta's instinctual vision. _

_It had been like this for a while now, Vegeta had noticed. His father sat there, looking smaller, defeated in a way without blood or bruises- a way that Vegeta didn't fully understand yet. The smaller throne next to him lay vacant. His mother was gone on a journey she wouldn't return from._

"_Father."_

"_Vegeta?" King Vegeta picked up his head, standing as his son entered and rubbing his beard. "Come here son. Come here."_

"_No, father. I'm hungry. I want to be granted permission to eat."_

"_Vegeta, please."_

_The young prince frowned but stomped up to his father, ready to get whatever lecture he had in store for him over with. It wasn't like he disliked the tales his father would tell him about universal Saiyan dominance, but right now his stomach ached and groaned in agony. He wanted food, but his father apparently had something important to tell him. He brought Vegeta passed the throne room over to a large, oval shaped door, leading the way to the outside balcony. His father's low voice caught his attention away from the rather desolate, red landscape. "I wanted all this to be yours."_

_The past tense went beyond him. "I'm prince. It will be."_

"_You've heard of your brother, Tarble?" King Vegeta watched his son patiently, but only saw a slight nod of affirmation. "I sent him away. He was too weak for this world, for this throne. You are not."_

"_And mother?" Vegeta returned his attention forward. His dark eyes settled on the bloody landscape, the mountains and cliffs and valleys of his home. "Did she go with him?"_

_King Vegeta side stepped the question. "Let me tell you a story."_

"_Please Father, I tire of these stories. I am fully aware that we are the most powerful warrior race in the universe." _

"_This one's important, Vegeta. It's about your destiny."_

"Vegeta?" Bulma's questioning voice drew the Saiyan Prince out of thoughts and back under Namek's green sky. He and Raditz sat cross-legged on the ground, cooking some sort of meat as Bulma hovered over her little toy. There were a series of annoying beeping noises before, but they had all seemed to stop at Bulma's question.

Vegeta looked up from the half cooked meal. "...What?"

"What do you want to wish for?"

_My destiny. _ He didn't want to listen to what his father had anticipated for him. He had lost everything, his home, his throne, his people. Everything that was once promised to him was gone under the red gleam of Frieza's attacks. A part of him wish he had seen the blast. It would make his abdication all the more real, fueling his rage into something more powerful. Would that be how he'd ascend? Through rage? Through passionate fury of needing Frieza's blood on his hands?

It'd be sweeter than immortality in a way. Knowing you could potentially fail makes success only sweeter. He'd destroy Frieza with the thing the overlord had feared the most. Destroy him with the reason the alien had used to destroy the Saiyans themselves, his people. There was something about ironic vengeance that made him feel completely satiated. He hid any sort of inflection in his voice, not wanting to feed the Woman's ego even more. "We'll follow your plan."

Bulma simply smiled. "I fixed the radar."

"_There's an old legend of a transformation even stronger than the Oozaru, something only the most elite of all Saiyans can achieve. It's rare, but possible, let me assure you, that the Super Saiyan will be awakened again."_

_Vegeta didn't like the idea at first. The possibility of someone stronger than him waking up was disturbing. "What are you saying?"_

"_I'm saying, my son..." King Vegeta raised his hand, as if to touch the small boy's shoulder but quickly dismissed the idea. "That some Saiyans are born with this innate ability. It hasn't happened for thousands of years, but I see this strength in you."_

_The small boy couldn't hold back a small scowl. His father never used such sentimentality unless something was... "Why are you assigned a new guard?"_

_King Vegeta sighed slightly and crossed his arms behind his back. His angled eyes stared closely at the red in front of him, over his kingdom and people. "Your brother's birth has caused some...unsettlement."_

"_Why?" He knew nothing of his brother, only that he had been sent away for reasons unexplained to him._

"_His power level was low for a Saiyan elite, for any Saiyan really. He had to be taken care of."_

_There was something brash, cold about how his father spoke, but Vegeta ignored it, knowing better than to judge his father's swift mood shifts. He half snorted as the new thought occurred to him. "They think you're weak."_

"_I've been in contact with someone that may subdue the situation. He wishes to use our fighting skills."_

"_I don't blame him." Vegeta crossed his small arms in front of him. "Though surely my strength makes up for Tarble's."_

"_Prove it to them then." His father let his hand fall to Vegeta's shoulder, but his grip was not one of love or comfort. It was hard, desperate, and fierce, a physical reflection of what flashed through his dark eyes. "Become a Super Saiyan."_

She was practically laughing when she picked up the first ball from the Namekian village, running back towards the group of Saiyans. "See? I told you it'd be much easier without you guys. No scary Saiyans mean no scary fights. I just asked them for the ball, no problem."

He growled, "You were lucky. Your abilities to lie have obviously not been lost these past years."

Raditz shrugged, "I'm just sort of happy we don't have to waste our energy killing these people."

Bulma nudged the Saiyan Prince in the shoulder, "Can you believe it, Vegeta? We'll actually get something _without _killing people! Who'd have ever thought! You're such a bonehead sometimes, you know?" She laughed at his low grunt reply and poked him in the chest. "What? Unhappy that _my _plan might actually work? It's all for you anyway, so why should you care?"

_Why is she helping me like this?_

Bulma didn't seem the least bit reluctant to just march into an alien village, only her loud mouth as a weapon and a beeping device. She had claimed that negotiations would only be quicker, knowing, of course, that logic was the way to convince him not to hurt the Namekians, not sympathy. She had just walked on in, and he and Raditz just stood away, lowering their kis and remaining silent.

"I had to lie and tell them I was still with the Earthlings and that I wanted to resurrect an old Namekian guy we had back on Earth. Which isn't _that_ farfetched. Goku does want to do that." Bulma held the ball up. "They're bigger than what I'm used to."

The dragon ball. He could hardly believe it. There it was, right in her small, delicate hands, glowing with magical energy. A bright orange orb in the middle of a blue green planet. There were three red stars in its center, marking it as the third of its kind. The third out of seven. Vegeta grabbed the ball slowly and smirked. He was one seventh away from killing Frieza forever.

"Raditz..." He eyed Bulma thoughtfully before continuing. "Put this ball into our pods, you know where."

Raditz furrowed his eyebrows, "I do?"

"Don't be an idiot!" Vegeta yelled, but immediately calmed. He was surprisingly...happy. "In mine. You'll find something inside."

"Oh! Yes, Vegeta." Raditz took the dragon ball immediately and nodded. "No problem."

"And do not get caught by your insolent brother!" Vegeta had to shout to the already rocketing Raditz. He turned to his attention back to Bulma. She had this smug smile on her face. Her confidence was a little overwhelming, incredibly uncalled for a woman at her power level. Vegeta bit his lip, knowing he'd regret enticing her, but at the same time, he couldn't stop himself. "Why do you have that ridiculous expression on your face?"

"No reason." Bulma shrugged, her blue hair flying back in the new wind. His eyes traced her figure then, fully taking her in, for perhaps, the first real time since they're twelve year interval. She was curvier than before but in all the places he didn't mind. Her skin was still soft looking; it _was_ soft. He had proved that himself with their last encounter. Vegeta bit back the urge to repeat the offence, but that grin on her face was hard to not stare at. She was a woman that wouldn't back down, one that fought her battles, no matter how puny and insignificant to him, with unadulterated fire. And because of that, he knew that this conversation was just beginning.

She continued, "Just that you'll probably realize now that I'm not such a _stupid, useless_ human after all."

Vegeta copied her expression, "Hmph, well I wouldn't go that far." He crossed his arms and widened his stance, preparing for the verbal tirade.

"Ugh! You're such a jerk, Vegeta! You know that? Even after all we've been through, even after I've helped you, you're still going to be like this? Just admit it. You need me." Her blue eyes glowed in curious bravery. "You _want _me here."

"Get these thoughts out of your head." He was closer to her now, his anger getting the best of him. He approached his enemy, arms now at his side, but his footing still wide. Vegeta was tired of hearing about how he was feeling. This woman knew nothing about his wants, his needs. All he wanted was his wish. But there was still that though plaguing his mind. "Why don't you admit that you're the one that wants to be here?" He pointed his finger at her chest, like she had done to him so many times before.

But that was a mistake.

The proximity of his hand on her made the air grow startlingly hot, pure electricity and fire through the normally cool environment. He could feel the redness on his cheeks, the small bits of sweat dripping down the nape of his neck. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

She made him nervous. It was excruciatingly difficult to admit, but the Earth woman made him anxious. Bulma sent his adrenaline pumping rapidly. It was an endorphin, a rush. It only propelled him to ask the question even more. "Why are you helping me?"

Bulma lowered her head, blue eyes looking at where his finger was still planted. She pushed his hand off gently, hands wrapping around that one joint until she brought them back up, squarely placing them on his chest. "Isn't it obvious? I've told you before." He didn't expect that they'd get any closer to each other, but they did, attracted together. "I never meant to leave you."

"But you did." His voice was low then, too distracted with her cheek pressed against his shoulder. He spoke before her counterattack, curiosity getting the best of his anger. "The dragon balls wished you back. Kakarot and the weak scarred one collected them."

She nodded, simultaneously rubbing her nose against his neck. He could feel his whole body tighten. "Mhm." The reverberation of her mouth hit off his skin. "They didn't know about you."

"But you did." He repeated the same sentiment, knowing that he should feel angry, but instead feeling nothing but confusion. He let his gloved hand sweep through her hair, the fine strands falling and colliding at his gentle caress. "What the fuck have you done to me?"

She was startled at the curse. Bulma raised her head up, imploring him to continue, "What do you mean?"

"I lied for you. I wanted to kill for you. I risked my life in a desperate attempt to save you." Vegeta let go of her hair and created a fist at his side. "And now...now the only thing I thought I wanted was to kill you."

Damn those blue eyes. She was still staring at him. "But what?"

"But I fucking can't! What did you do to me?" He could feel his chest grow heavier with each intake of breath, and was shocked to see that the Woman had replaced her head back on his body, giggling to herself. _Giggling_. After he had told her he wanted to kill her! _She's absolutely insane._

Bulma's laughter soon stopped, and she grabbed Vegeta's hand. The light in her eyes had faded, and it was obvious what had replaced it: confliction. She was torn, and it made Vegeta's stomach clench. Bulma let go of his head and rubbed her fingers against his cheekbones before retreating a few steps away. "I think you know why."

Vegeta scowled.

He had no fucking idea.

* * *

A/N:

Quick notes.

I realize Goku hid Gohan from the moon when he was talking to Bulma about being semi-upset about realizing his Saiyan heritage in my story, but the truth is, he didn't actually realize he killed his grandfather until Vegeta transformed in the Saiyan Saga, but I'm assuming that he connected the fact that he experienced blackouts during full moons, ending up naked and confused, all up until he didn't have a tail anymore. Hence the: "let's designate early bedtimes so my son doesn't experience that" idea. The fact that his son, or he, turned into a gigantic ape was not on his mind. Because, he does connect the dots rather quickly when Vegeta initially transforms...

Also about Tarble and movie canonicity. Though I love the ideas of a lot of the movies (Broly, Cooler, Tapion, etc.), THERE'S SO MANY PLOT HOLES that it's hard for me to accept them as canon because, well, they're not. I really only trust _History of Trunks_, but anyway, I digress. I decided to add Tarble in this fic because I think it lends a different reason to why the Saiyan Empire collapsed besides the notion of Frieza just coming and recruiting everyone.

I hope this doesn't bother too many people. If you have questions/concerns/comments of any kind PM or review :D


	11. Unwelcomed Guests

A/N:

My fingers hurt from typing. What I get for typing 4000 words in a day...Anyway, sorry this isn't as long as the other one, but as finals and end of the semester approach, I find myself having little time to do anything actually enjoyable. But I still managed to get this out! So yay! Small victories. I'll take them

Thanks so much for everyone who reviewed! If I were a better author, I would have replied to most of your reviews via PM last week, but...I'm not. So sorry. I'll try to be more on my game after this update/I'll answer the more of your questions currently in this incredibly convoluted paragraph (...yeah, I'd hate me too):

_Beauty Eclipsed, Death101-Fox Version, ScoobyDoobyDee, The0Blind0Writer _(ugh that stinks! it's not as serious as some, but incredibly entertaining. maybe they'll come out with an English dub!), _Marie Fortune _(I don't mean to make you cry D:), _elleelle, Cloud Ency Shikamura, boona, Many Voices In My Head _(oh, I kind of implied that she dies D: I'll probably make that a little clearer in later chapters), _BloodyXan-Xan, ZombieChick422, gege, DBZer16, MK08, menga88 _(HOW DID YOU KNOW? know what you may ask? you'll see), _Greenis my fave color_, __ _(though i think your bvprincess because of the count...), _dyingdreamsv2, Kitty673, gue22, Jellyfrosh (_awww thanks!), _Linneh, jdboss1_, _taity _(nice catch with the capsules. he's sentimental like that...well at least now he is)_, YukiraKing _(Thanks :D), _Trixie-chan, ArnoldRimmer, S._, _Girness _(thanks fr the two reviews, and I can't find Lisalu's stories D: As for Tarble, I haven't noticed him used that much, but maybe it's a new dbz fanfic trend...like bonding and telepathic communication...idk where I'm going with this),_ ZammyNox _(Oh! It isn't! thanks for the catch :D I'll go back and edit one day...), _Naughty Cat, Cara2012, SugarlessSweetness _(fanfic and studying are never a good combo...), _bvluver4ever, koii _(no worries :D thanks for the two great reviews!), _Eure, bimbosarahsurfchick _(I just watch that movie online...almost as good as owning!), and_ v-mangrl_.

Thanks everyone!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, as many as you pointed out, _Bardock: The Father of Goku_ as one of the movies I see as canon. I totally agree with all of you :D So now my canon movie count is up to two...not so awful.

Disclaimer: No, I'm not Akira Toriyama. And no, I'm not making any money by writing this.

* * *

_Unwelcomed Guests_

"Run! Go!"

Another fist came swinging, colliding harshly with the ground and creating meteor shaped impacts. Goku rolled off the grass, barely dodging, but completely unhurt. _Damn. _ This was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Not only was this...Oozaru transformation incredibly strong and huge, it was also fast. Nappa was pounding through the landscape and let out a shrill roar that tore through Goku's ears. He pushed back the thought of his grandfather, of the fact that he had crushed the one man who raised him with his own giant, monkey feet. He had different more urgent things to address.

Nappa was ravaging Namek. Craters formed wherever he stepped and the land shook from the tremendous shifts of weight as the beast walked forward. The ball of light energy was still glowing, expanding and shimmering with excess energy.

"Krillin! We need to take out the moon!" His scar was burning slightly, and Goku annoyingly clenched his fists, realizing the artificial moon seemed to be expanding. "It's growing! We have to take it out before it reaches the other Saiyans and Gohan! He'll be completely out of control."

There was a low, hard rumble reverberating against the ground, and Goku chilled at the fact that it appeared to be coming from Nappa. Krillin had the same bewilderment. "Is he...laughing? But how?"

"Fools."

Both Earthlings cringed back at the deep, yet slight familiar, voice. The Oozaru continued. "True Saiyans, Kakarot, learn how to control the Oozaru after they have completed their first mission. Even your son has learned this control."

Krillin was shivering, "You—mean—you still have control?"

The monster bared its teeth. "You tell me."

There was another hand swipe, and Goku rolled out of the way. Both Goku and Krillin found themselves on the ground, slightly scratched but not seriously injured at all. _His tail first. He needs to be in base form. _"Krillin, we need to get him back to his human form. Think you can handle it? "

"Handle the giant ape monster?" Krillin shook off his worried expression and nodded. "You got it. I've got a new move I've been working on. Just give me a sec." The short man flew back, landing with a slight _toc_ on a plateau further back. He raised one of his arms up, his palm faced upwards, as if he were holding a platter. Goku smiled in confidence and shot back up towards the silver ball in the sky.

"Nappa! I don't know why they sent you to us." After the initial burst of energy, Goku was finally able to get a steady reading of his ki. "...But you don't stand a chance. Even with this power your nothing."

"Stupid third class." Nappa's bellowing voice would have made others flinch back, but Goku stayed aerial, staring down his enemy and only letting his black hair move back. The Oozaru's red eyes flashed. "You are nothing but ants! Your pain will..."

"DESTRUCTO DISC!" There was a thin sphere radiating from the top of Krillin's right hand. It was an enormous amount of energy, squished into one thin sheet. The yellow saucer literally cut through the air as Krillin tossed it across the Namekian landscape.

Nappa didn't have time to react.

The disc sliced his tail, cleaving it from his body in one large, smooth incision. There was an agonizing scream, and Goku momentarily broke his warrior stoicism to look at the shimmer of pain in Nappa's red eyes. He was changing back, rather quickly too. The brown hair covering his body diminished as hereturned to his normal size and shape. Blood was trickling rapidly from his lower back, and the useless brown appendage on the ground quivered slightly before becoming completely still.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Goku didn't hesitate to send the blue wave to the artificial moon. It easily deflated from the enormous ki blast, and Goku let out a breath in relief. He didn't want to deal with any more giant monkeys, especially if one of them would be his son. "Krillin? Is he okay?"

Krillin was already on the ground, a fair distance away from a mortified Nappa. Goku wasn't sure if it was the physical pain or his hurt pride that made the older Saiyan lay flat in the dirt. The sight of blood on Nappa's back made Goku reach for his own tail spot. It had taken a while to get used to, and there were still some days that Goku still felt that something was missing. He could only imagine how Nappa was feeling. He hadn't been connected to his tail nearly as long as the other Saiyan had.

"It's like cutting off an arm, isn't it?" Krillin raised an eyebrow as Goku landed next to him. "You'll miss it, but at least you can live without it."

"Sort of." Goku half admitted. He eyed Nappa carefully. The Saiyan wasn't dead, that was obvious, but he was incredibly injured. The transformation took a lot out of him, and to have it end so abruptly and in that way did nothing for his body.

Krillin reluctantly took a step forward to Nappa's body, "So what do we do with him. Another destructo disc?"

Their attention on Nappa was torn away as a giant circular object flashed through the green sky. It was huge, not just the spaceship, but the ki both Goku and Krillin immediately sensed.

"What the Hell..." Krillin's eyes were stuck on the spot where the ship had last been seen.

Nappa was slowly laughing, face still buried in grass and dirt. Goku frowned, "Hey, what's going on?" He didn't like being harsh, but he didn't trust Nappa to give him a straight answer. Goku lifted Nappa up by his cracked armor, staring point blank at the Saiyan's face. "Answer me."

"Haha, nothing." His face was scratched, partially bloodied, but there was this unmistakable glint of crazed happiness in his smile. "It's just Lord Frieza. He's here."

"What? Already?" Krillin stood in shock.

"His spaceship is a whole lot faster than our little pods. Hahahaha. This is great! I hope you're ready."

Goku's grip on Nappa's suit hardened, "Ready for what?"

"To die."

* * *

"And this is number...5! So what do we have now Vegeta?"

The Saiyan Prince grunted and eyed the dragon ball in his hand. "This is 6."

"Okay so 3, 5, and 6. So we only need 1,2,4, and 7. Not so bad. Not bad at all actually." Bulma grinned at her radar and set it back in her pocket. "I must admit. Dragon ball hunting is a lot easier when you go around with someone that flies." Bulma raised a finger to her chin, "I wonder why I just didn't send Goku out on Nimbus...stupid cloud, never let me on it..."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. This was such unnecessary babble. He was getting anxious. With each dragon ball collected, the legend of the Super Saiyan became even more a reality. His destiny would be discovered. His purpose realized. _The Saiyans will once again be the strongest in the universe, not some space lizard._ He half smiled in satisfaction.

"I mean, me? Impure? What does some stupid cloud now about..." Bulma blinked, her blues flashing, "Vegeta, are you _smiling_?"

The Saiyan's senses snapped back to Bulma, "What are you talking about, Woman?"

"It's just for a second there...you looked kind of happy."

"Hmph."

She smiled as well and moved closer, jostling the dragon ball as she walked. "You were thinking about your wish, weren't you?"

The question surprised him. He had expected her to say something stupid and frivolous, something about how her annoying, inescapable presence was making him smile. Something obviously false. Vegeta just tucked the orange five-star ball under his armpit. "Perhaps."

"Do you know what the Super Saiyan is like at all? If Frieza's afraid of it, it must be pretty powerful."

"Not just _pretty_ powerful, Woman. It is the most powerful known transformation any creature could obtain. The Oozaru is nothing."

Something about Vegeta's phrasing struck Bulma. The Saiyan Prince didn't know what was suddenly bothering the human woman, but he needed to find out. "Why do you suddenly look like a frazzled idiot?"

"Your kindness never ceases to amaze me. I'm not frazzled." Bulma shook her head, obviously something on her mind.

"Woman." Vegeta snapped in front of her. He was almost getting used to close proximity with her. Almost. "I cannot concentrate if you're...you're..."

"If I'm _what_?" She had this smug expression on her face, something that made Vegeta immediately growl.

"Distracted." Vegeta grunted and stepped back, taking his black eyes off of her. "It's annoying. Tell me, Woman."

"It's just..." Bulma huffed and blew back her bangs. "Can other aliens, besides Saiyans I mean, transform?"

Vegeta raised an eyebrow, "You're not trying to suggest there is some sort of Super _Human,_ are you?"

"No...though thanks for making it sound so completely ridiculous. I just mean..."

"Wait." Vegeta held up his hand, and to his surprise, Bulma actually stopped talking. She must have sensed that Vegeta immediately became on edge, his whole body tensing as his eyes looked upwards.

Yes, she definitely knew. Bulma moved to his side and grabbed his hand. Vegeta would have turned back to face her, the sudden warmness of her tiny fingers incredibly inviting, but he was too focused, too intent on what he was currently sensing.

"Don't tell me..."

Vegeta dropped his eyes and turned back to her, "Fine, I won't tell you."

She squeezed his hand harder and moved her body closer, their shoulders almost brushing. "It's Frieza, isn't it?"

"Hmph. You told me not tell you." Vegeta saw the blatant fear in her eyes, the fear he himself should be feeling. He knew that the Woman hadn't been lying when she denounced Nappa. She had no reason to lie now and was no way that stupid to lie to him _twice_. But Vegeta kept his gaze steady, his breath even. He was waiting for this day. _Good that he's here. It'll be easier to kill him._

"Vegeta..."

There was some incredibly grating about her voice then. It demanded his attention, the soft breathy nature making him completely focused on her, forgetting his thoughts on Frieza and power. "What?"

"Zarbon had said...he said he was going to hand me over to him." Bulma's breaths were deeper now. She wouldn't cry, he knew she was stronger than that, but the grip she had on him almost began to cause some slight pressure to the Saiyan. "He said that with you gone, I'd be..."

"You will not." His voice was low, rough. Vegeta immediately pulled Bulma closer to him and grabbed her other hand. They were chest to chest again, all air between them gone, and the temperature seemed to have sky rocketed. "I will not let him take what's mine. Do you understand?"

She was silent for a while, glancing at her hands and then back at Vegeta's face. "I'm not yours, Vegeta," she said softly, almost like she didn't want him to hear her at all. But her voice quickly gained volume. "And will you stop manhandling me?" She ripped her wrists from his grasp and looked back to her radar. "If Frieza's here, the last thing I should be doing is panic. That won't get us anywhere."

Vegeta had to stop another smile from forming. There was something incredibly attractive about how in one instant Bulma could be incredibly irrational and then the other completely objective. He wrote it off as another aspect of her insanity.

"We need to find the other dragon balls...and there just so happens to be three in one place." Her mouth fell open a bit, "That can't be coincidental."

"Frieza just got here so it isn't him. Maybe it's your pathetic friends. They must have finished off Nappa quicker than I had anticipated."

Bulma nodded, "I guess...Can't say I'll miss the maniac. Where's Raditz by the way?"

"Guarding the one ball we have."

"I have a capsule here. We can hide them." Bulma handed him the small cylinder object. "Don't worry, okay?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes, "I'm not the one who was whining before, Woman."

"I can tell, Vegeta. And don't glare so much." She touched his nose, "You'll get wrinkles. And Kami knows you're stressed out enough. I'm surprised you don't look like an old man already."

The Saiyan Prince, usually, would have discounted this as her babbling, but for some reason, he bought into the verbal dispute, forgetting that Frieza was probably landing that very instant. Bulma was, in a word, distracting. "I'm not the one who looks like an old maid, Woman. How old were you twelve years ago? I thought you were in your teens, but your current appearance suggests otherwise."

"Ugh! Jerk!" She grabbed the capsule back from Vegeta and stuffed it back into one of her zipped pockets. "I think I liked it better when you told me to be quiet and just ranted on about your wish." She shook the radar in his face, "Speaking of wish...Uff!"

Vegeta had already grabbed her around the waist, blasting off after grabbing the Dragon radar from her hand.

* * *

There were already kis approaching them, two to be exact. Both Goku and Krillin stood up, one watching the sky and the other watching Nappa's still fallen body. One of the kis were huge, making Goku tense. This wasn't going to be good. Frieza had brought a whole spaceship of men to fight his wars. Goku had two friends and his son. _Shit. _

With lightning speed the first one landed, large and round. The texture of his pink skin was so hard, Goku couldn't tell if his body was mostly composed of fat or muscle. He hoped for the former. The other was substantially smaller and purple, but neither of them were that weak.

_These must be Frieza's men_. His eyes shifted from one to the other, waiting for them to speak or attack... _anything_. But Krillin was the first to break the silence, "You guys with Frieza?"

"Of course we are, runt." The pink one babbled and crossed his arms. "And who the Hell are you?" He cocked his head to his shoulder to take a look at Nappa's body. "Friends of little Vegeta most likely."

"Dodoria, they completely destroyed Nappa." The purple one didn't look at all worried. "No matter, we'll simply..."

"I'm still alive, you know." Nappa crawled up from the ground, wincing as he moved his back. His tail bone looked incredibly raw.

The alien called Dodoria nodded in satisfaction. "Well good. Lord Frieza wanted to congratulate you anyway. I'll clear you to head back to camp."

Nappa began to hover sloppily, obviously still exhausted and beaten from the transformation. "What does he have planned for Vegeta, Dodoria?"

Dodoria cracked an evil grin, "We'll see. Now beat it Saiyan and let me take care of this trash. Cui, go with him."

Goku's eyes never left Dodoria, even as the others left. He was feeling him out, getting a full sense of his power, which was respectfully high but probably still manageable. He had to admit, it was quite lucky that Bulma had a spaceship equipped with a gravity room. _Otherwise we'd be done for_. There was no way he had this power on Earth. His brother, strangely enough, had been right about one thing though. The near death beating he had been subjected to did give a spike to Goku's power level. _Wait..._

It may have been crazy, absolutely insane actually, but Goku needed the boost. He didn't have time to go back to Guru right now and who knows if he would get another chance now that Friexza had landed. Plus, he had senzu beans right in his bag...

"You're name's Dodoria? And you're looking for Vegeta?"

Dodoria curled his lips at Goku, "Don't tell me there are more of you Saiyan brats around. I'm here to take out that little monkey prince of yours. He's been a bad boy."

_Krillin's not going to like this..._ "Fine. But you need to get through me first."

The shorter fighter practically jumped in shock, "Goku...what are you doing?"

"Trust me Krillin. Just don't let him..."

Dodoria's fist colliding with his jaw immediately silenced him. The pain was harsh; Goku could already feel some blood trickling in his mouth. The guy was pretty strong, and with Goku's ki not acting as any sort of barrier, the near death experience wouldn't take long. _It won't get too far._

The kicks and punches continued, his lithe body becoming wrecked with bruises and slits of blood. Krillin just stood there, biting his lip as Goku was pummeled into the dirt. He barely defended himself, wanting the effect to come as soon as possible and making Krillin incredibly confused. There was one point when Krillin steadied his hands together, preparing for a kamehameha, but Goku tacitly shook his head, signaling to let the beat down continue.

Dodoria was enjoying himself too much. It was then Goku realized he was doing the right thing by forming this faux alliance with Vegeta. If the conversation from before was any indication, Nappa and Vegeta didn't seem to be on the best of terms. Nappa and Frieza on the other hand...

Goku moved his arms, blocking an especially dirty kick to his crotch. His body was already getting tired. He was pretty sure soon he'd be unconscious. The pink blob straightened his arm, slamming it flat against Goku's back and making the fighter fall onto his knees, panting. Dodoria seemed to sense his breathlessness and held out his open palm square at his face. "Dirty Saiyans. Always getting in the way. See if you aren't too beaten to stop this."

Yellow and white light strained Goku's pupils, and the normally unburdened Saiyan had the slight fear that he might have gone too far, risked too much for power, something he had never done before.

But he had to, he decided. He could sense Frieza's ki, unbelievably strong, terrifyingly powerful. He needed all the power he could get in order to stop him, in order to help his friends. Goku spit out a slight bit of blood, "Just do it."

"Dodoria!"

There was a different voice, one Goku didn't really recognized but still it sounded vaguely familiar. He didn't have too much energy to turn, but the next word gave it away. "Kakarot?"

"Oh crap!" Goku could hear the fear in Krillin's voice. "This isn't a good time, can't you..."

"Dodoria, let go of my brother."

The Frieza henchman surprisingly did what the voice said, disintegrating the ki blast to turn to the new arrival. He huffed and placed his hands on his hips, cruelly smiling. "Raditz. Don't tell me you're a traitor now too."

Raditz just stood there, arms crossed, scouter gone. Goku was more than confused at the sight of his brother. There were so many conflicting emotions. This man was one of his last blood relatives, but at the same time, he had kidnapped his son and sent his best friend flying through a house. _And Piccolo..._ He almost had little doubt that Raditz would have killed him, maybe, if Bulma had not gotten involved.

But then again, there this man was, seemingly defending him. _Ugh...I can't do this now_. Goku grabbed his head. His body was incredibly tired, and he was never really too much of a thinker. He would just wait to see how this played out. As Dodoria turned to face his brother, Goku reached for the small bag attached to his hip and pulled out a senzu bean.

"I'm not a traitor." Raditz declared the phrase easily enough, but then immediately fell into a fighter's stance, shocking Dodoria and Krillin. "Not to the Saiyans."

* * *

Bulma immediately scowled as they landed. They were on the outskirts of some Namekian village. It was small and quiet, and she could even see Gohan where she was standing, perfectly safe. She let her mind briefly wander to where Goku and Krillin were, but Gohan didn't seem too concerned, which set her mind at ease a little.

"They have three of them, Bulma."

She could hear the slight happiness in his voice and couldn't keep her mind from tingling. Vegeta was so excited, that much was obvious. He was so close to being free of the chains that bound him for most of his life, and she would be the one helping him gain the key. There it was again, that warm tingle that she knew she shouldn't be experiencing. She had long passed the point where she admitted to herself that she was still attracted to Vegeta. She was. And that was okay. Weren't committed woman allowed to be attracted to other men anyway? Even if those men may have been sort-of-kind-of an old flame? Even if she may or may not have loved him?

Bulma sighed. That was definitely not okay.

Which brought her to the reason of her grimace and trepidation. Yamcha was there with Gohan, looking serious and maybe even heartbroken. She felt her stomach twist and burn at the sight of him, but at the same time, she didn't want Vegeta to let go of his grip on her waist.

But she moved away from him anyway, thinking they may be spotted any moment. "You better be nice to him."

Vegeta grunted at the words. "I do not mind Kakarot's brat as I once did."

"Not Gohan!" Bulma rolled her eyes. "I..." She wasn't sure if this would help or antagonize the situation, but she needed to say it. She had to get it out there. "I love him, Vegeta."

"Love?" Vegeta eyed her curiously but merely shrugged. "Whatever, Woman. You and your human play toy are of no concern to me." There was something shallow in his voice, but Bulma had no intention of questioning it. She was just relieved Yamcha might still be standing after this little meeting.

She nodded her head and took another step back, "I'm glad you understand." But she wasn't exactly sure he did. The term 'love' only seemed to confuse him. Which, when she thought about it, would make complete sense. She doubted that Vegeta had ever been loved for, let alone cared for, during his stay with Frieza. Besides their brief interlude that is. And he seemed incredibly unsure about how to handle his feelings with her.

Bulma half snickered to herself. _Are you saying, Bulma Briefs, that the mighty Prince of All Saiyans _loves_ you?_

Vegeta turned, as if reading her thoughts. "Why the fuck are you laughing at, Woman?"

"Nothing, nothing." _Yeah, definitely love_. "Remember to play nice."

It was then the two noticed them, probably sensing their ki. Gohan was the first to turn and smile. He quickly waved and pulled on Yamcha's gi. The bandit's jaw immediately dropped before he flew over, pulling Bulma to him in a tight embrace. "Don't ever, ever do anything that stupid again."

"Hey! It was not stupid!" She pointed him on the chest, but then quickly realized that was something she usually did with Vegeta. It felt wrong doing this to Yamcha for some reason. Bulma pulled back a little, standing closer to the slightly fuming Saiyan next to her. "You have three dragon balls?"

"Yeah, Miss Bulma! Only four more and then..."

"One, Brat. We only need one more." Even though he was talking to Gohan, Vegeta's eyes never left Yamcha's face. "Unless anyone has any objections to me getting _my_ wish."

Yamcha started to open his mouth but was quickly intercepted by Bulma, "Nope! No one does, right Yamcha? Vegeta's just gonna wish just for a little more power to defeat Frieza and that's it."

"Oh good! Then we can use one of the other wishes to wish back Piccolo like Lord Guru wants." Gohan smiled happily.

Bulma could do nothing but blink for awhile, not fully processing the words. "...other wishes?"

"The Namekian dragon Porunga grants three wishes." There was a tall, muscular Namek walking back to them now. He offered Bulma his hand. "My name's Nail."

"Bulma...and you're saying that we can get _three_ wishes from this dragon?" Bulma was astounded, and she could tell Vegeta was as well.

"Yes." Nail nodded calmly but he eyed Vegeta with slight hesitation. "Lord Guru senses that Frieza wishes these dragon balls for evil, if you wish to help us get rid of the tyrant, we will allow your wish."

Vegeta scoffed, "I don't need you to _allow_ my wish."

"Actually you do, Mr. Vegeta." Gohan scratched his head and gestured to the small Namekian boy by his side. "Dende told me that Porunga only understands Namekian."

Bulma laughed, seeing the visible frustration on Vegeta's face. She answered giddily, "Fine then. Let's go get the last one then! As a team." She said the words to Vegeta, trying to comfort him, trying to assuage the tension that was filling through his body. She wanted so much to grab his hand then, run her hands through his dark, coarse hair and just explain that some things, not all, but some things actually do work out. That not all things end in explosions and heartbreak.

But Yamcha was the one that grabbed her to fly off, not Vegeta. And she felt like a hypocrite for even thinking those words.

* * *

A/N:

Not so much b/v love in this one, but Frieza's here! Ah! Anyway, I promise more elaborate fight scenes for more major battles in the future. fight scenes are not exactly my forte, but I'll try my best.

Thanks for reading guys :) and please review!


	12. Trigger

A/N:

Yay finals week! Actually just got back from taking a final, remembered it was Wednesday, and decided to destress by writing you all a little chapter. And I do mean little, so sorry in advance for the short length, though I doubt it skimps on the action!

AHHH. I BROKE 500! Thank you all so incredibly much from the deepest part of my rather tiny, but fully functional, heart :D all of you are completely amazing, no matter what you have to say in your reviews. I love reading them all. Special thanks for the reviewers from last chapter:

_menga88, JeMS7, Gindorf091, .Nat _(wow two reviews in one! thanks!), _KayuraK, Dahlia, Alex274, ZombieChick422, bvprincess23 _(I did! Thanks again :D), _YukiraKing, jdboss1 _(well, I kind of had it in my head that immortality doesn't necessary mean you live a _young_ life forever, which would totally suck), _Many Voices In My Head, Greendragonsheart, BloodyXan-Xan,Ladylaide, bimbosarahsurfchick _(haven't completely decided how long I want to take this fic...but ha, Vegeta at a wedding. HAHAHA), _dyingdreamsv2, Cloud Envy Shikamaru, Dahlia, angelstryke _(thanks! and glad I made your day! yay!), _Shirokame_ (Yes! definitely give writing a shot!)_, BLACKONYX _(oh you read it out of order? well i guess that works too :D)_, Katie Loom, MK08. Trixie-chan, ScoobyDoobyDee, DBZer16 _(oh my, crossing dimensions may be challenging though)_, boona, _, Girness_(thanks! I'll definitely get to reading it when summer starts!), _Smile-bestthingintheworld, Eure, Gan Aurora, Kitty6773, FishTVCo, Cara2012, johncorn, Ravens and Feathersxx, Babylons a city, koii, Greenis my fav color, miikosdesu, Death101-Fox Version,_ _gue22_ (Thanks again), and _BlueHairedSaiyan._

Oh and sorry for the lack of romance as well (boy, I'm apologizing a lot). The plot decided to take over for a while.

* * *

_Trigger_

He didn't like that he was touching her. That went without saying. He didn't like how the fool's hands easily caressed her skin, how he felt like what he was doing was _okay_. He didn't like it when he kissed her softly on the cheek, an action that made the Saiyan's mind burn with thoughts of blood and anger and territory.

And he hated that she was letting the weakling do all of these things.

Didn't she have any self respect?

Vegeta scoffed and double backed, ignoring the conversation that the two Namekians that had tagged along were currently occupied with. Whatever the holdup was on the seventh and final dragon ball, Vegeta knew it would not make him happy. And he was this close from snapping already. He didn't need anything else bothering him.

"Uncle Vegeta?"

He tensed at the little boy's voice and turned back around. He sent an immediate glare towards Gohan, but the young half-Saiyan didn't even flinch. And he didn't seem too eager to speak again, so Vegeta lowly growled, "What, Brat?"

"I'm glad you're okay, sir. It's not true, right? That you sent Nappa out to kill us...is it?" There was a soft glimmer of doubt in Gohan's expression, and he turned back to look at the sky. "I mean, I thought you liked us. I thought you wanted us to help you."

"Don't misunderstand tolerance for _like_, boy. And I don't need your help."

"So you really did send Nappa to kill us?" Goha's ki was slightly rising, making Vegeta relent.

He didn't really want to have to explain his plan to Gohan or anyone else more than necessary. _But the betrayal will surely get the half breed angry. _Vegeta smirked. An angry Gohan was infinitely more powerful than his normal self. And Vegeta could use all the power he could get, especially if Frieza were here. "No. I sent Nappa to his grave."

Gohan blinked, "Excuse me, Mr. Vegeta?"

"Brat, you're not completely dimwitted. Calculate your power level and your father's and even add in those pathetic Earthlings for all I care. It's significantly higher than Nappa's ever will be."

"But what if he transforms, Vegeta? I sensed a spike in their location now, and..." Gohan's thought drifted off as he looked back up to the sky, zeroing in on his father's location. "...and now there are two different kis there... Hey! One's Uncle Raditz's!"

_Raditz? Shit. _ "What?" _He's supposed to stay and watch the dragon balls. Idiot! _But the other ki locked his attention more than anything else. _Dodoria._ _Fuck._

He wasn't sure how much Raditz could handle. The third class Saiyan was a lot more powerful than he was in the past thanks to the several beatings he had experienced, and he even seemed to surpass Nappa in power, though the elite Saiyan would never admit it. But Dodoria was one of Frieza's commanding officers, only second to Zarbon and perhaps the more talented members of the flamboyant Ginyu Force.

Gohan's excitement fizzled when he realized he missed an important part of Vegeta's explanation, "Why do you want him dead?" He furrowed his eyebrows, "Is it because he always makes fun of you and Miss Bulma? She was the Earth girl from before right? I can tell by the way you..."

"GOHAN!" Vegeta vanished in front of him, picking the little boy up by the collar of his Saiyan armor. "We are not to speak of that. And no." He dropped Gohan on the ground, creating light clouds of dust, noticing that both the Namekians and Earthlings were staring at him. "He betrayed me. He led Frieza here."

"He did?" Gohan's ki spiked again, and Vegeta smirked. _Perfect. _

"I have a mission for you, Gohan."

The boy blinked, "Er, it's not going to be to kill someone, is it?"

_What a weakling._ Vegeta ignored the un-Saiyan like demeanor and shook his head. "No. Raditz has clearly abandoned his post by our space pods. Do you remember where we landed?"

Gohan nodded, "Yes, sir. I'll guard them."

"Good. And Gohan, if anyone tries to sneak up on you, just picture Frieza beating your father to a pulp."

The half-Saiyan's eyes widened in confusion, "But Mr. Vegeta, my dad never fought Frieza."

Vegeta sighed, "Just do it. You're still a slave to your emotions. You'll need to think of something infuriating if you want to unlock your power."

"Unlock my power? With emotions?"

"With anger," Vegeta corrected. "It seems to be your trigger."

"Right." Gohan nodded and waved behind them, "Don't worry, I won't get into trouble!" Vegeta noticed he was only talking to the aliens behind him, knowing that Vegeta could care less if Gohan got into trouble or not. Not as long as he would be able to get _out_ of it.

Satisfied, Vegeta turned back around and crossed his arms. He didn't like the way that stupid scar faced weakling was staring at him, and he liked it less when he began talking. "You seriously just sent a five year old out on his own?"

"I don't see what the problem is. He's the third strongest in this little group of ours." He smirked, "After me and the overgrown plant here."

Yamcha clenched his fists, "Would you get off your damn pedestal already? I'm not as weak as you _think_ I am. And isn't it a little hypocritical to call Nail a plant? He's not the one named after vegetabl..."

"I was named after a _planet_ for which my family _ruled_ over." Vegeta's tone was extra biting. There was just something about this Earthling specifically that made him want to instantly blast him to bits. He supposed it didn't help that the scar faced moron was currently standing next to Bulma. Standing _too close_ to Bulma. "Please, if you have a name that is the equivalent of royalty, I would love to hear the rebuttal." He paused a second, but Yamcha didn't flinch. "No? Fine then. Let's get my wish."

Apparently, Yamcha had his own death wish in mind, because he was soon in front of Vegeta, stark still and eyes annoyed. "I still don't know if I trust you enough to let you have _your_ wish."

Vegeta snorted, but was soon intercepted by Bulma, standing between the two and tugging at Yamcha's hand. "Yamcha, this isn't the time for this!" She turned back around, facing Vegeta. "Would you two just stop fighting for two seconds? Frieza is here. _Frieza. _Doesn't anyone see what a big deal this is?"

"You call this fighting, Woman?" The ki blast was easily ignited in his white, gloved hand.

"STOP." The new voice drew all three of their attentions away from the thick, primal tension. Nail stepped forward, still looking rather calm despite the loud outburst. "I have no time to deal with this. Bulma is right. Frieza is here and probably killing my people as we speak. You two can whine all you want later, after we get the last dragon ball."

_Insolent plant man_. Vegeta tugged at the lower edge of his lip with his teeth, but relented. "Fine. Lead the way Namekian."

Nail nodded, "The last dragon ball is in a village to the south of us. It shouldn't take too long to get to, but we may run into some problems."

"Problems? Why do you say that?" Bulma was looking at her own radar to confirm the Namekian's location. Nail seemed to be right, the cursor of the Dragon radar pointed south, just as he said.

Vegeta turned his eyes away from the radar and started to scan for ki. The enormous power level almost made him visibly jolt, but he kept his nerves under control. There were two of them there, two fairly large power levels surrounded by smaller ones that were most likely whatever villagers lived there. _Fuck_. "We have to go now."

Nail stared at him coldly, "And risk our own lives?"

"What? What's going on?" Bulma's blue eyes grew.

Vegeta scoffed. "Aren't you supposed to be one of these heroes? Consider it to be the noble thing. We'll probably save some of your people in the process."

"Or just delay him." Nail shook his head. "Fine."

Decision made, Vegeta turned back around, ignoring Yamcha's presence and grabbing Bulma's hands. "Woman, you need to stay here."

Her face slightly flushed from their contact, and Vegeta felt his own warmth flooding his chest. But Bulma, realizing what he was saying, immediately snapped her hand back. "Excuse me, Vegeta? I am _not _staying here."

"Don't be a fool, Woman. This is for your own safety."

"Vegeta." Yamcha walked up next to Bulma, arm slightly in front of her in protection or perhaps to stake his climb. No matter the reason, Vegeta could feel the end of his hairs on his tail become completely on end. The scar faced human kept talking, "It's not safe to leave Bulma here alone. I won't leave her here by herself."

"Fine." The Saiyan Prince shrugged, "Then you stay with her."

"But...but...Vegeta!" Bulma pushed her boyfriend, whatever that was, aside and stood right in front of him. "Don't just abandon me here."

"Hypocritical, don't you think?" Vegeta let loose a smirk, enjoying her reaction. "And I'm not. Your _boyfriend_ will keep you company."

Bulma visibly squirmed at both statements but shook her head, "I want to help you. Let me go with you."

"If you go with me, Woman, you may never see your planet again." It wasn't meant to be presented as a threat, and Bulma knew better than that.

She only nodded, held out her arms and gripped Vegeta around the neck. The Saiyan Prince was taken aback by the sudden action, the sudden feeling of her skin on his again, even though only a small part of them were touching. He could hear Yamcha's low grunt of discontent in the background, and that only fed Vegeta's pride more. He grabbed Bulma by the hips before hovering in the air. "You're too manipulative for your own good."

"Clever. I call it clever." Bulma let her grip fall from his neck as Vegeta gained altitude. The two Namekians and Yamcha were following close behind. "Frieza's there, isn't he?"

"And Zarbon." He could feel her body ice over at that statement. The wind was rushing. Nail and Dende had already taken the lead, waiting for the Saiyan and human fighter to follow. But Vegeta remained in the air, turning Bulma around. She struggled against him, but he ignored her weak protests of slight fear. "You."

Yamcha immediately came closer, grabbing Bulma's hands and looking at Vegeta in surprise when he easily handed her over. "Bulma, are you alright?"

"Listen." Vegeta spoke before Bulma had the time to answer. "These people we are fighting could kill you with a single ki blast which means they could kill her with a single _punch. _You may be incredibly weak and not worthy of my time, but I think we can both agree on one thing."

Yamcha snorted but raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "What's that?"

"We want to keep her alive." He didn't know when that statement had become completely true, but the last thing he wanted was to see her small, fragile body crushed under the hands of Zarbon or Frieza or anyone for that matter. Vegeta was still addressing the fighter in front of him, but his dark eyes fell to Bulma. She was staring at him intently, hands wrapped around Yamcha's shoulders like they were around his only moments before. Her face looked rosy pink in the cool high altitude air, and Vegeta had to reconnect his thoughts. "If there's a single sign of a fight, you need to get her out of there. Use the radar or ki to find Gohan but just get the fuck out of there before anything can happen to her."

"Vegeta..."

He ignored her whines, "Do you understand? First sign of danger."

"Yes, Vegeta." Yamcha gripped his woman harshly around the waist. For once, Vegeta ignored his complete disdain for the man. "I will."

* * *

There was a deep laugh emitting from the pink blob's throat, and Goku edged his way onto his elbows, dirt staining his gi. His outfit was already torn in several places, and Goku was happy that he opted for the non-weighted shirt and wristbands for once. _I'll need all the help I can get._

Krillin was still off towards the sidelines, eyeing both his brother and Dodoria in apprehension. Goku had his own doubts about his brother's loyalty. It wasn't to Frieza, that much was easy to tell. Raditz had obviously marked Dodoria as his enemy, standing in front of Goku protectively as if he lived up to the cliché of a typical older brother. But Goku still doubted that Raditz completed trusted them and vice versa. _He's doing this for Vegeta_. Raditz had announced it himself before: his loyalty was to the Saiyans.

Both Raditz and Dodoria squared off, hands raised in defensive blocks. Dodoria smirked after pressing the button on the eye contraption over his face, "Weak, monkey boy. But I didn't expect anything less. Vegeta's weaker than me and you can't expect a monkey follower to be any stronger than the monkey prince."

Raditz gritted his teeth. "Shut up. You'll get to Vegeta in time, but first you have to fight me."

They took off then, so quickly that Krillin had to do a double take. In colored flashes they were airborne, swinging low sectioned kicks and punches aimed for the face. Arms and legs flew with easy diligence and aggressive strength. Goku's eyes never left the battle. He flinched as Raditz was kneed in the stomach and then sent crashing through a plateau 100 yards away. Goku slowly stood next to his best friend. "Jeez, Goku. How about we get out of here while we still can?"

Goku shook his head at his friend's request. "Why? I can beat him."

Krillin froze, "You serious? He kicked your ass before! Did you eat a senzu bean?"

He nodded."It was something my brother said on Earth, when he beat me up. He almost killed me."

Krillin's attention turned back to the air, where the flurry of punches restarted when Raditz reappeared from the crater he left in the ground. "...Don't remind me."

"He said he was doing me a favor. Near death experiences...I remember from when I was younger. I would always come back stronger."

"So what you're telling me is that Saiyans, after being brutally beaten and on the very brink of death, actually get _stronger_ when they heal again?" Krillin asked.

Goku scratched his head innocently, "Er, yeah! I guess so! I mean, so far the theory's working. Wanna see?" Goku took a step back before summoning his ki. The air around him gained speed, spiraling in torrents and picking up blades of grass and damaged rocks. His fists clenched, Goku bit his lip, letting the sweat soak his forehead from the sheer energy surrounding him. He could feel the battle overhead momentarily pause, their eyes glancing to the once fallen man in clear shock and anxiety. Goku only smiled before getting his body back down to a more normal level. "See already higher."

"Go-Go-Goku..." Krillin closed his mouth speedily. "That was amazing. That 100G training really helped too, didn't it?"

"Yeah it did. Wish I knew some different moves though." The Saiyan shrugged, "But the old one's should be just fine to help Raditz. I'll be right back." Goku nodded towards his friends before jolting up to the sky, right where the two other fighters were still exchanging blows.

It was obvious Raditz was losing. His face was cut and bloody, arms and legs already looking tired. Dodoria had punched clear through a crack in his armor, and Goku could already see some bruising. The pink monster stopped, sending Raditz a wary look not to attack. "Well, well. Do the Saiyan animals want to try and teach me a lesson?"

"Your fight's with me, not Kakarot, Dodoria." Raditz lit a ki blast

"Stupid Saiyan." Dodoria vanished and snapped in front of Radits, punching him in the already vulnerable spot in his armor. The pink fiend then grabbed Raditz's face, slamming it into his kneecap, which caused the Saiyan to flop back down to the ground. "Never learns. Hm?" Dodoria turned back to Goku, who just shot him a dangerous glare.

"You're one of Frieza's henchmen."

Dodoria grunted, "And you're a dirty monkey. Thought we already established..." His crude tone was interrupted by Goku's hand violently crushing into his cheek. Weird colored blood splattered the air as Dodoria spit out, "What the fuck you little asshole! You couldn't even land a punch on me before!"

Goku just shrugged, "Guess I wasn't trying hard enough."

With a single, well placed kick, Goku sent Dodoria''s body crashing. It collided with solid rock and formed it's own cracked bowl on the planet's surface. Goku just watched as the dust rised and settled, seeing Dodoria's unconscious body lay broken in the rubble.

"What are you waiting for?"

Goku edged up but slowly turned to face Raditz. He looked awful, left eye bloodshot and surrounded by broken blood vessels. There was blood trickling down his left shoulder and cheek, and he held his stomach weakly with his right hand. Goku didn't even know how he managed enough ki to fly. "What do you mean?"

Raditz eyed him strangely, "Why aren't you killing him?"

The bluntness stunned Goku a little. He didn't know how to read his brother. Was he here to help them or was he really a blind murderer? _Bulma trusts Vegeta and so does he. There must be something more to it_. "Why should I?"

Raditz sneered at the question. "What kind of a Saiyan are you?"

"A bad one, obviously." Goku shrugged and eyed Dodoria's fallen body. "What has he done?"

"Killed a lot of people. Made my life and the life of your other brothers a living Hell."

Goku twitched, "Other brothers?"

"Not literally. Our Saiyan brothers. He helped Frieza destroy them all. Even our father." Raditz sighed, still seeing Goku's hesitation. "Some people, Kakarot, deserve to die. He's one of them. I've killed many innocent people, maybe even hundreds, but even that is nowhere near the amount that he has. You have to be brutal, heartless in order to get that close to Frieza. He won't hesitate to kill you or Gohan if given the chance."

At the mention of his son name, Goku immediatlely became infuriated. The risk of letting anyone ever hurting the ones he loved made his blood quicken and become brutally hot. With that, Goku raised his hands, setting them up for a quick Kamehameha wave. The sharp blue blast cut easily through the air, and just as easily through Dodoria's body, turning the once brutal henchman into nothing more than space dust.

"Wasn't so hard, was it?" Raditz patted his brother on the back before following his brother back to the ground. "You have a lot of power there, brother. Almost as strong as Vegeta's. Maybe even more."

Goku didn't acknowledge the compliment. He walked up towards Krillin who still seemed uneasy with Goku's strength, with the action he had just did. His best friend scratched his shaved scalp. "That was sort of ruthless, Goku."

He didn't acknowledge that statement either. There was a surge of anger when Raditz mentioned the possible death of people he loved. That feeling was always there, always present when someone even hinted at threatening his family or friends. He was built for protection, lived for making sure his family was okay. But this time, that feeling was fueled almost completely by unbridled rage, not justice, which he would have liked to make it seem. He was angry then, furious at the possibility of anyone hurting Gohan or doing something possibly worse.

And as much as it pained him to take life so easily, there was something incredibly empowering about this force in him. He felt like there was something inside him that could be unlocked, if only given the right momentum, the right key. Anger seemed to be the answer, and Goku half hoped he would never have to experience anything that would ever make him explode like that.

The other half, however, wished he would.

* * *

Vegeta coiled his tail around his waist tightly when they had landed. He was here. He could sense him easily, a bright shining fire of power on a field of fireflies. Frieza was sitting in his floating little ship, flanked only by Zarbon. They had the Namekians cowering in a herd, like scared cattle, and Vegeta could only curse at himself for doing the same thing when he had first arrived.

He didn't want to be comparable to Frieza. Vegeta may have destroyed worlds, destroyed lives, but it wasn't under his own control. He felt no need to repent for his past actions, but there was something mocking about seeing Frieza in the same position he was in earlier.

_He must feel powerful now_. The Saiyan's lips curled into a smirk. _Good. My wish will catch him off guard._

"Vegeta and I will distract the two unwanted visitors." Nail eyed the scene carefully, surprised the aliens hadn't turned around yet. They had obviously been sensed, the clear beeps of the scouters gave that away. He kept his voice low to keep out of earshot. "Yamcha, Dende, the dragon ball should be in the center building."

"Get it and run." Vegeta added darkly, "I'll destroy the scouters, but don't be such an idiot as to not hide your ki, got it?"

Yamcha only nodded, and Vegeta turned to Bulma, who looked absolutely petrified. Her blue eyes looked somewhat hollow when she saw the two figures, backs still facing them but not too far away. They hadn't changed, not like she or Vegeta had. Zarbon had the exact same stance, the same cape, and Frieza...the air around Frieza had never changed from being absolutely chilling, not one day.

Vegeta gripped his waist with his tail even tighter. There were conflicting thoughts in his brain, He didn't have time to do it, but nevertheless, he found himself turning to her anyway. "Woman, if they do not acknowledge you, do not even pretend that you recognize them."

Her voice wavered when she spoke, and he immediately regretted ever bringing her here. "...Okay." Bulma shook her head, bangs flying in the slight wind. She steadied herself before waiting for Yamcha to fall back with her. Nail and Vegeta took the front, leaving Dende, Yamcha, and Bulma slightly behind. One of the Namekians, probably an elder, immediately brightened at the sight of Nail.

"You're here to save us! Thank Guru!" He fell onto his knees, stricken with relief.

"So foolish, aren't they Zarbon." The icy, thin voice carried over, and Vegeta sensed Bulma cringing. _Stupid Woman, you're stronger than that. _Vegeta turned off the thought and focused on Frieza's back.

The lackey answered, "Yes, Lord Frieza. Incredibly foolish. It's almost sad."

"Hmph." Frieza tapped his fingers in the edge of his floating pod. "Almost as foolish as traitors, I'd say. Filthy, stupid, monkey traitors."

Zarbon was the first to turn around. His white cape flapped behind him, framing his tall, arm crossed figure. He smiled evilly at Vegeta, eyes only wavering a bit to Nail.

_Good._ Vegeta found himself relieved. _He hasn't noticed the Woman._

"And what, Lord Frieza, do we do with such traitors. Kill them?" Zarbon pressed the button on his scouter. "Especially when they are so _weak_."

"Now, now, Zarbon. You should know better than to simply kill them."

Zarbon opened his mouth in surprise at Frieza's statement, but the shock soon wore off as the overlord turned around slowly, long fingers gripping harshly on the edge of his pod. There was a sick look in his eyes; he was angry, beyond angry. White veins protruded from his hands and neck, holding in his fury. But his voice was still eerily calm. "We need to have a little _fun_ with him first."

His beady red eyes swiftly moved from Vegeta to the blue haired woman behind him, and Frieza smirked.

* * *

A/N:

Eep! Yup, another short one. But college is almost over, so get ready! (I know I am). Thanks for reading guys! And drop a review!


	13. Revival

A/N:

So incredibly sorry for the late update. Good news is college is over, which is weird in some aspects, but excellent for my ff writing! I won't go on about things...let's just talk about my wonderful reviewers and readers! Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed :D they helped me get through this semester, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter:

_LPphreek, menga88, Many Voices In My Head _(Thanks so much for your PM as well :D), _Girness, apple pie 33, Alex274, Smile-bestthingintheworld, gue22 _(I'm working on the power level issue. it's hard to keep track of...), _taity, jdboss1, bvprincess23 (_Mirai :D I may just have to get to him! haha, and that's all I'll say about future events!), _Greendragonsheart, YukiraKing, 1 _(thanks for your multiple reviews! I wish I could send you a PM though to answer your questions more fully. I'll try to improve later chapters however), _MK08 _(ha, I hope you did well!), _boona, Eure, Cara2012, miikodesu, Trixie-chan, ZombieChick422, ScoobyDoobyDee,, The0Blind0Writer, DBZer16 _(eep. I'll be careful then!), _dyingdreamsv2 _(hope you did well as well!), _John, Greenis my fav color_, _Death101-Fox Version, ilovevegeta, BloodyXan-Xan, FishTVCo, joys _(for both reviews!), _ellelle _(2 reviews! and Bulma does attract trouble, doesn't she?), _Danielle Silvermane _(I'm glad it made you want to draw! That's great!), _Katie Loom, koii, Veggie Lover _(YAY. so happy it finally did!)_, PerfectLover, Naughty Cat, _and _Haw Resf._

Thanks for all the final exam well wishes! And I hope you won't mind the history lesson in the beginning of this story. The romance is bound to come back soon! Promise!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT. This story is being made not for profit but because this is how I choose to occupy my free time :)

* * *

_Revival_

_Vegeta-sei used to be beautiful. It had been that way even when ruled by the Tuffles, and perhaps it was that reason why the Saiyans had fought so hard for it. Though not a traditional beauty- with blood red skies and harsh deserts, there was power there. There was something strong, willful, and that made the Saiyans want to stay.  
_

"_Our original home had been destroyed." King Vegeta shuffled through papers on his desk, obviously frustrated. But he continued to look down, not looking at his son in front of him. "We had to move here."_

_The young prince grunted. "That doesn't exactly answer any of my questions."_

"_Don't you have training to do, Vegeta?" The frustration was apparent in his voice. King Vegeta glanced to the guards at his sides, "Won't you take Prince Vegeta back to the training grounds? He needs to..."_

"_No, father." Prince Vegeta crossed his arms and steadied himself in the chair in front of his father's desk. It was rare to find his father in here; the man hated paperwork and anything so incredibly passive. He usually welcomed Vegeta's probing questions or requests for new warriors to fight or any distraction, but something was stressing him out. _

_The king rolled his eyes and scratched his beard. Leaning back into his plush chair, King Vegeta pushed the paperwork aside with one long sweep. "Do you know why the Saiyans had to move, Vegeta? Because the original Super Saiyan was wildly out of control and decimated the planet. Your great ancestor was the one who helped the Saiyans migrate to Vegeta-sei, but I will not allow an incident like that to happen again. You need to train."_

_He was always a stubborn child, and this would be no exception. He gave the approaching third class Saiyan guard a harsh glare and remained seated. "I'm waiting for my answer, father."_

"_Forceful as always, Vegeta." The king couldn't help but crack a smile. "Fine then. As you know, we were not the only species occupying this planet when we had arrived."_

_The prince lowly growled, "The Tuffles."_

"_Yes. Though pathetically weak, they thought they could keep us in check. It's our nature to be aggressive, and our ancestors couldn't exactly keep _all_ of the Saiyans from exhibiting some of their power."_

_Prince Vegeta blinked, "I was led to believe that we were all enslaved."_

"_Enslaved? Maybe...yes, that could be a good word for it. Not all of us, mind you. Only the ones stupid enough to get caught. The Saiyans that crossed the boundaries to our land, usually to pick a fight or claim more fertile soil, were degraded. They thought we were idiots, violent buffoons. But they were interested in our physical makeup. Scientific bastards treated us like animals, in too many respects. _

"_Our people's pride had been buffeted too long. As you know, I commanded the legions that eventually led to their downfall. But many of our troops craved more action. But in order to do that, we needed help."_

_Vegeta stirred in his seat, "Is that where this Frieza man came in?"_

"_Eventually. We needed to expand, so we visited Acrose and formed a temporary alliance. In exchange for scouters and technological means, we would find and secure a more suitable planet for them."_

"_We sound like pirates." Vegeta shifted again, mind torn. A part of him felt uncomfortable by the idea, even though it had happened not too long ago. He had been engrained in him that the Saiyans were a proud people and that was something he would never forget. But his father's statement almost challenged the idea._

_King Vegeta ignored the comment, "The Acrosians are members of the WTO, led by Frieza. Lord Frieza had heard of our people's power and ease of takeover and made me an offer to align with him. But I did not and _do _not want our people ruled by some foreign alien. I rejected his offer at the time."_

"_What made you change your mind?" Though Prince Vegeta already had a sense of the reason. The uprisings were getting worse, the people of Vegeta-sei uneasy. The war with the Tuffles was long over and so was the alliance with the Acrosians. They were restless, as all Saiyans usually are, during times of peace, and they needed a strong Saiyan to guide them. Apparently they had thought of reasons why his father was a less than suitable figure of power. His brother was one of them.  
_

_The older Saiyan confirmed the thoughts. "Lord Frieza is a respected figure in the universe. His name demands subservience and loyalty, which is exactly what our people need before they become self destructive. I will not lose the empire I built because of some shallow hearted need for rebellion."_

_Prince Vegeta grunted, "Handing over power is cowardly, father."_

_The older Saiyan's face became dark, worried lines on his forehead and eyes outlined heavily by the dark shadows in the room. He grabbed another piece of paper, one that looked similar to some sort of contract, and grabbed a pen. "Sometimes a common enemy is the best unifier. I have faith in our people and you. " His name spread out on the lines in silky script. "Train, Vegeta."_

* * *

He couldn't look at his hands anymore. There was no explanation to the amount of violence he just displayed, but there was most certainly doubt clouding his mind. Goku had conviction of Vegeta's inner goodness, and who was to say that Dodoria didn't have that either? They were both in Frieza's service, both probably having suffered similar fates.

"He would have turned on you." Raditz seemed to read his thoughts exactly. The older brother continued, "For a minute there, I thought I'd have to do it."

"It doesn't take much for you to take lives, does it?" Goku didn't turn at his brother's approach. The high of fighting was gone, and Goku no longer felt the rush that made him feel close to his Saiyan heritage. At least, that's what he assumed this was. He always was excited when fighting, but so was Krillin when they had trained with Master Roshi all those years ago. But _this_ was something different. It was more primal, more brutal, and heartless.

Raditz shrugged, "Still mad at me about Gohan?"

"You _kidnapped_ my son."

"I trained my nephew." Raditz vanished in front of Goku, making Krillin jump back a bit at his sudden appearance. The long haired Saiyan cracked a grin but quickly relaxed, scratching his head even under Goku's less than friendly gaze. "But I don't want to fight. Especially you...since when did you get stronger than me?"

Goku ignored his brother's question, "Krillin, we should go back to the others." With Frieza's army on the planet, he needed to make sure everyone was okay. They were playing a risky game by remaining separated, and Goku didn't like leaving his son or friends alone for too long.

"Holy crap." Krillin's face became stark white as his dark eyes looked back to the horizon. "That's...that's incredible."

"Huh?" Goku turned to the direction and immediately sensed the ki. His breath hitched when Yamcha and Bulma's kis were then detected. "They're with Frieza? Krillin, let's..."

"Wait, brother."

"There's no time to wait." Goku scowled, something he didn't do often at all. But then again, he was never exactly known for his patience.

Raditz frowned, steadying his hands on Goku's shoulder. "Kakarot, facing Frieza as you are now is a death sentence. You won't be able to save yourself, let alone your friends."

There was that flash of heated anger again, but Goku settled his body down. He didn't know what was going on, and he needed to keep his emotions in check. There just seemed to be this sudden _need_ for power, as if his body was responding to the dangerous situation he and his friends had thrown themselves into. But he couldn't become unleashed. That seemed like a death sentence. "I can't leave them alone."

"Prince Vegeta is there. He must have a plan."

Krillin raised an eyebrow, "No offense, and I really don't want you to take this the wrong way, but your faith in one guy is a little unsettling."

The Saiyan snuffed, "What else can I believe in?" The statement ran cold, and Goku could finally fully relax his body, forgetting he had just brutally killed a soldier, that he needed all the ferocity he could muster if he and his friends were going to get off this planet alive. Raditz ignored the awkward air and turned around, arms crossed, and looked at the opposite end of the planet. "Vegeta is going to revive an age of legend."

"Legend?" Goku walked next to him but still kept his mind focused on the power levels in the distance. There were no fluctuations, up or down, and he couldn't help but feel incredibly relieved. "Is that what Vegeta wants with the dragon balls?"

His older brother nodded, but then suddenly flashed in front of him, an almost _warm_ look to his eyes. It was frightening. "But maybe we won't even need them."

Goku ignored the riddle behind those words, not caring and not knowing how to figure them out. "Good. Then you'll let us use them."

Raditz didn't answer directly. "I'll take you to them." He paused before placing a hand on Kakarot's shoulder. "Relax, Kakarot. Your friends will be fine...for now. It's important that we prevent Frieza from obtaining the rest of them."

They had all agreed on that one notion and followed Raditz back into the atmosphere, hiding their kis and keeping a part of their minds focused on the incredible power miles away.

* * *

The air around her immediately chilled, thick sheets of ice seeming to press flush against her skin, curling her toes and making her blue arm hair completely erect. His red, lifeless eyes glanced over her quickly, probably only for a moment, but it was enough for her to understand. It was enough for Frieza to gain recognition, enough for him to say, "Everything does work out in the end, doesn't it Vegeta?"

She could feel the confused glance of Yamcha behind her, but he didn't dare speak or move. _Plan Bulma. There's a plan. Don't you dare freak out. Don't you dare let him win. _

Vegeta followed Frieza with his eyes, scowling openly as the hover car moved a bit forward. The Saiyan prince clutched his fists together. The white fabric seemed to almost rip from the force. There was unaccustomed silence around them, nothing but alien bird chirps and heavy breathing reverberating throughout the deathly silent village. The evil tyrant just smiled at his reaction, purple lips seeming chapped and bloodied. "Don't you agree Zarbon? How long ago was that? Not too long, but I'm sure you must have missed your little pet, didn't you, Vegeta? And here I thought after all this time you had just killed her."

Zarbon's golden eyes widened in recognition. "That... bitch."

_Crap._

"Don't touch her."

She was surprised to see that it was Vegeta's hand raised, not Yamcha's. It was Vegeta's dark voice that ran strong through the air, stopping Zarbon from whatever attack he had planned and keeping the blue skinned alien planted on the ground, eyes connecting with the Saiyan and not her anymore. Bulma knew what she had done to Zarbon: rejected him, betrayed him, and he was most certainly _not_ happy to see her again. _Or maybe he is happy with this new opportunity to kill me._ She swallowed at the thought, and tugged at Yamcha's arm, needing anyone's protection at the moment.

"Vegeta, this is not wise." Zarbon cracked a smile. "Territorial monkey, aren't we? She wasn't _completely_ yours, you know. Whose chamber do you think she visited every night? Whose company did she seek out?" Zarbon's voice was smooth, collected, and he had an easy grin on his face. He was trying to make Vegeta livid, a dumb strategy Bulma thought. Sure, maybe fighter's thought less when hotheaded, but Vegeta wasn't a fool. He rarely ever forfeited tactics for rage.

They stood across from each other, neither of them in a fighting stance but both staring each other down. The tension flickered brightly between them, and Bulma had to continually fight with her mouth to remain shut. What an idiot she had been. How could she ever possibly dare to think that Zarbon would be anything to her besides an aggravating bastard? It had taken her too long to realize the true person behind the wish. And even now, especially now, she half thought that if she hadn't been such a blind fool, they would have had a better chance. A chance without escape plans our being wished back too soon or other boyfriends or evil overlords. Just them fighting through their own differences and learning about each other.

Kami, she still wanted time to know him.

"Hmph, you're an even bigger idiot than I had originally pinned you for." Vegeta smirked, black eyes flashing in the bright Namekian suns. "I sent her there to learn how to kill you and your pathetic master."

"Now, now, little Vegeta." Frieza's slimy voice dulled his eyes. The alien stepped out of the pod, oddly shaped feet lightly tapping the ground. He was short, purple helmet and armor looking almost childishly stupid. But his aura was what made him so paralyzing. Her breath caught seeing his white fingers suddenly trail across her cheek and arms, ice water seeming to leak out of his pores and into her skin. "Your ambition is...charming. But idiotic nonetheless. Though I must say your pathetic excuse of a mutiny did lead me to these _dragon balls._ But I still need to relay your punishment. Zarbo..."

"Frieza!" Nail suddenly stepped forward, arms at his side, face taut and serious. His voice echoed even across the open landscape, and the Namekians behind Frieza smiled with sudden joy at the strength of their warrior. "You're mine. You will not get the dragon balls and torture my people any longer."

"Any _longer_?" His laugh was like a sick poison. "I just got here. And if you think _you,_ some miserable plant, is a match for the most powerful overlord in the universe, by all means!" His face suddenly became sadistic. "I would love the warm up, if you can even give me that."

"Not here." Vegeta stared down Zarbon, but his voice carried over to Nail and Frieza. "Our actions could damage the dragon ball. Try to kill us if you dare, but not here." Bulma saw the look he sent Nail, and the Namekian nodded.

"They're fragile. Practically glass. Something so powerful needs to be taken care of very carefully."

Bulma bit her lip, remaining silent and hoping the lie would follow through. She could see the plan unfolding. Get Frieza and Zarbon away from the village while she got out of there, dragon ball in tow. It was a simple plan, one that Frieza would probably be able to see right through.

Frieza grunted, "Do not take me for some idiotic monkey like yourself. I will not leave the dragon ball for your men to simply take."

"My men, Frieza, are treacherous, asinine snakes. And the two humans you see here are worthless fools. The Woman has only one use to me as you know, and the man..." Vegeta scoffed, "Track his power level if you must. He will not even be able to lay a punch on you."

Frieza pressed his scouter, grinned and nodded. He was a perverse emperor, and Bulma figured that he'd have even more joy trying to hunt her and Yamcha down than killing them on the spot like this. "Fine." His red eyes glanced from Yamcha to Bulma and then finally to Nail. "This won't take more than two minutes. Be sure to keep it warm for me, worms."

And before Bulma's eyes, the four of them vanished, air picking up dust from their take off. "Vegeta!" She couldn't help but scream. The realization that Zarbon was more powerful than the Saiyan didn't seem to truly hit her thoughts until now. _What is he doing? The idiot is going to get himself killed! _ "Vegeta! Get back... hey!"

Yamcha had suddenly grabbed her hand and dragged her forward to where Dende was walking. "They don't know we have all the other ones. We have to hurry."

"He'll die! He's crazy. He wasn't strong enough to take on Zarbon back then. How does he know he's strong enough now? How does..."

"Bulma." The seriousness of Yamcha's tone stopped her dead. His grip on her was gentle, but she could see the frustration on his face. He was anxious and annoyed with her, something Yamcha rarely showed so easily. Bulma felt her chest twist and tighten as Yamcha just sighed. "We need to talk."

Her heart skipped at the words. They were deathly solemn, clear signs of endings and change and other things that made her incredibly uneasy. But she knew it had to be done. They both did. "Yamcha..."

"Not now. Later." Yamcha picked her up gently as the shining light of the dragon ball shone in Dende's small hands. "I'll keep my ki low as we move. We have to get this done first."

* * *

Vegeta's eyes never left the alien in front of him. His breathing was uncharacteristically uneven, his blood boiling, and his mind clouded with the rush of events. The dragon ball was theirs. Frieza was even dumber than he had _cocky_. How could he not think that they didn't have other dragon balls in possession already? _What a fool._

"Your scouter. You managed to break it?" Zarbon's quiet laugh trickled from his mouth. His white cape flapped easily behind him, and the blue skinned alien gave a satisfied smirk. "You're making this too easy Vegeta, really. I don't even know how you managed to detect that village." Zarbon shrugged, "But I suppose after running around in the dark, you're bound to bump into something. Would you prefer this to be a fast death or slow?"

"Fast." Vegeta evened out his footing. "I have a wish to make."

"Your Namekian friend is no match for Lord Frieza. He was a fool to challenge him."

"He is of no concern to me. I am the one who will be defeating Frieza, not some Namekian." Vegeta growled, baring his teeth slightly at this annoyance. _Just attack Zarbon_. His boots slid across the ground, digging into the dirt. _Just give me one excuse to kill you once and for all_.

"Arrogant as ever. Let me rip that smirk right of your face!"

Zarbon's punch flew pathetically slow. Vegeta caught the fist easily, crushing Zarbon's knuckles between his own fingers and letting the dark expression fill his face. He had waited for this moment for too long. Perhaps he could have done it sooner, gotten rid of this leech after one of his many near death experiences. _But revenge wouldn't have been as sweet._ His smirk turned evil when he heard Zarbon's bones crack.

"Then again." Vegeta let go of Zarbon's hand after the alien's scream passed. He vanished behind him, and he could hear Zarbon gasp in terror. "A slow death would be much more fulfilling. Don't you agree?" He sent a snap attack into Zarbon's back, and the monster crashed into a thin tree, pummeling through the bark ruthlessly. His armor was already cracked, green hair falling loosely from the once well kempt braid. Vegeta could only grin in amusement. He waited for Zarbon to stand, which took a while, and held out both of his hands. "Let's see how well you can dodge."

Flurries of yellow lights cascaded across the sky. They blew up the surrounding area and massive clouds of dust and dead grass flew up from Vegeta's ki blasts. They were storming down, pelting the land and hopefully Zarbon's body with energy induced pain. As the dust settled, Vegeta half grinned at Zarbon's ragged body and ripped cape. He was still breathing, a shame, but the Saiyan Prince comforted himself with the fact that he would just have more room for fun.

"Vegeta..." Zarbon's voice was low, infuriated. He looked pained, probably more upset that his face was messed up then that he was about to die in less than a few minutes. Vegeta couldn't believe how easily this was going. "You aren't prepared for this. You leave me no choice but to crush you." Zarbon grumbled, wiping the blood from his mouth.

Vegeta couldn't help but laugh, "You must be joking! You can't even land a hit on me. Please, just try."

Zarbon curtly smiled, "I must warn you. This form has much less beauty than you would think possible for me."

His eyebrows quirked at the word."What do you mean _form_?"

Within seconds, Zarbon's body tripled in size. His arms blew up and became bumpy, pimpled with pus-filled warts. The thick, cold skin expanded and stretched over his pulsing muscles. His legs turned into blue toned tree trunks, and within milliseconds, possibly less, Zarbon was behind Vegeta, one furry appendage gripped between his fingers.

"What the fuck! Let go!" Vegeta flailed wildly, but Zarbon easily dodged his awkward blows.

"This used to be a sensitive spot, right Vegeta?" Zarbon's grip on his tail tightened, blocking out the blood circulation, but Vegeta didn't feel pain. He had spent too many hours training the otherwise weak area to feel any pain from such a simple attack. "I wonder if this will hurt."

"Don't be such an...AH! FUCK! LET GO!"

He could feel the nerves ripping, blood vessels popping, as Zarbon brought the Saiyan to his knees. His tail was being torn out of his very body, and he felt fire shoot threw his spine and mind. It was unbearable, an indescribable agony that made his bones feel loose and brittle. Warm blood was spilling through the seams and slid down his back. It flowed passed the raw muscle and connective tissue, out of open veins and splashed onto the dirt in large puddles of crimson. With one sickening _rip_, he no longer felt the appendage. His body was cut off, and Vegeta collapsed sideways on the dirt, face soaked in his own blood.

* * *

All seven dragon balls were in their possession. What seemed like a futile wild goose chase actually worked out, which was incredible. Bulma breathed easily as they landed before Gohan. "Where are the others?" He immediately tensed, sensing their kis probably, but he turned back to the ball Dende held. "Great, now we can grant Uncle Vegeta's wish."

"Lord Guru wishes for the other dragon balls to be restored first." Dende replied softly but with a firm voice.

"We'll wish back Piccolo, fine." Bulma shrugged, uncaring about anything but speed at the moment. They needed a Namekian to summon the dragon anyway. Her mind was back with Vegeta. _Stubborn Saiyan. He better not get himself killed._ Bulma felt her heart pinch at the thought, but she ignored it, opting to focus on helping Vegeta this way. She still didn't know what exactly Vegeta had planned on wishing for. Just knowledge of the Super Saiyan? Or to be one himself? She grabbed the Dragon radar and looked back to Gohan. She could figure all of that out after the dragon was summoned. "Where are the other dragon balls? They should be around here... ah!"

The radar beeped as she moved forward to the space pods, and Bulma didn't hesitate before slipping into the metal ship.

She felt this warm wave sweep through her when she sat in the deep seats, memories of star studded nights and bodies too close together. Bulma felt his heat on her, imaginary maybe, but it was still there nonetheless. The echoing beats of the radar was the only thing that kept her moving and in the present. She never thought she would want to be clinging to some claustrophobic memory. _Where are they_? Dragon balls this size would be easy to see, but Bulma couldn't spot them in the tiny space. Her hands ran across the seats and floors until her fingers came into contact with a metal box, _her _metal box. "What?"

But opening the case only confirmed what it was. Inside were capsules and a list of models on the back of the lid, models that were over a decade old. "He kept it?" Her chest fell, completely heavy. Vegeta had kept her capsules to remember her by. Maybe it was to remember the pain she had caused him or the memories they had, but for whatever reason, he had wanted to remember her. She couldn't help but smile. "They're in here."

They had un-encapsulated all of the balls and placed them into a tightly compact pile. "Dende, you know how to summon the dragon?" Gohan asked, excitement filling him.

The young boy was in for a treat. He had never seen a summoning before, and Shenron had always been an incredible sight. Bulma was sure the Namekian dragon would be no exception.

The orange balls radiated off each other, glowing and gleaming with the magic and power. Dende coughed, raised his hands, and was just about to begin the summoning when three fighters landed before them.

"Dad!" Gohan immediately left Dende's side and ran up to his father, hugging him before moving on to Raditz. "Uncle Raditz, you're okay too! That's great!"

Both older Saiyans gave Gohan weak smiles, too consumed with the seven dragon balls lying so easily in front of them to offer him proper attention. Goku cracked a wider grin, "Alright! Great! Let's get the wishes going!"

"The legendary Super Saiyan..." Raditz shook his head, "Unbelievable. Frieza will stand no chance."

"Piccolo first." Dende replied again. "Porunga has three wishes to give."

"Wish him here then."

All eyes turned back to Goku who was still smiling brightly. Bulma didn't exactly know what was getting into her best friend. Wishing Piccolo back was great and all; they were bound to need the Earth dragon balls again anyway. But wish him _here_? "...um, _why_ Goku?"

"We need all the help we can get, don't you think?" Goku said in an obvious tone of voice. He moved closer to the shining orbs and placed his hands on his hips. "He wanted to protect Earth. Goes to say he'll want to help his home planet."

"Kakarot, you're wasting wishes." Raditz frowned. "We should conserve the wishes in case something else..."

"And let Frieza take it potentially?" Yamcha shook his head. "I'm with Goku. I don't like Piccolo as much as the next guy, but we shouldn't leave usable dragon balls lying around. Let's use all three wishes up."

"Let's stop wasting time and do it already." Bulma was practically twitching. She couldn't sense ki like the others. She had no idea how Vegeta was faring, if he were even _alive_ at all. Cold sweat began to build on her back , and Bulma had to steady her breathing to try and speak properly. Raditz didn't seem to be worried, however, and she assumed, hoped, it was because he knew Vegeta was okay.

Dende nodded and raised his hands again. "_Takkaraputo Popporunga Pupirittobar_!"

There was a flurry of dark clouds suddenly consuming the sky. The dragon balls all glowed simultaneously before letting lose a bright gleam of orange light. Thunder and lightning crackled through the sky, and Gohan's mouth dropped wide open when a broad shouldered, green dragon appeared stories above their heads. Bulma was wide eyed as well. The Namekian dragon was huge, much more muscular and less like the dragons she was used to as a young girl.

Dende didn't want to waste any time and ignored the impressed stares and gasps of air. "I'm wishing back Piccolo first."

He chanted words in the foreign Namekian tongue, and the dragon Porunga nodded his head before repeating some other phrase. Dende smiled and repeated the next wish, the wish that would bring the maybe not so evil Piccolo here. The dragon nodded again, and soon another body materialized, and there was one new Namekian in front of them.

Piccolo was dressed in his weighted clothes. The Namekian glanced briefly at his surroundings, his original home despite the fact that he was born on Earth. To Bulma's surprise, he didn't look confused or shocked at all. Piccolo was smiling, not evily but more with a satisfied look. Goku waved happily, "Hey, Piccolo! Nice to see you back."

The Namekian didn't reply directly. "Hmph. I guess I was wrong after all. King Kai wasn't lying."

* * *

A/N:

Quick notes: _Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans _gives some explanation to the Tuffle/Saiyan war and so does Vegeta in the anime, but both accounts are probably grossly bias (one being from the Saiyan prince and the other a Tuffle scientist). That being said, it's unclear as to the real reason why the war broke out (I personally lean towards the Saiyans are too aggressive in nature to watch another race have the better land casually), and I hope I managed to discuss the issue with some clarity.

A lot happened this chapter, and I'll get ready for the next (technically this week's...) update. Sorry again for the delay. And please review :)


	14. Complications, Confrontations, Realizati

A/N:

Hi hi! Next update underway! It seems that some of you had the impression that I graduated from college last week. Not yet! I have two more years left until I become a fully fledged adult (scary). I plan on treasuring the remainder of my student life.

Back to fanfic related things. Thanks once again for all of your reviews! Like I've said in the past, the motivation I receive from your reviews is immeasurable, and I love you all for it. Thanks to everyone who's reading this! and all of my wonderful reviewers:

_boona, TheDeadlyColera, Smile-thebestthingintheworld, Death101-Fox Version, Cara2012, Greendragonsheart, bvprincess23, Greenis my fav color, ZombieChick422, menga88, Trixie-chan, Winrycherry101, dancingsugar (_thanks!), _BloodyXan-Xan, Many Voices In My Head, dyingdreamsv2, johncorn _(maybe! wait and see!), _MK08 (_yeah getting it pulled off seemed more...brutal than a sword cut), _KayuraK _(yay optimism :D), _The0Blind0Writer_ (I think King Kai does, but I wonder how much we can trust him since that whole 'frieza didn't blow up your planet' thing), _jdboss1, taity, gue22 (_is updating two days later okay?), _v-mangrl, DBZer16 _(eep. fear doesn't make for fast updates! ...I mean, I'm not bribing :D), _joys, Eure, ScoobyDoobyDee _(aww thanks :D), _PerfectLover, Trixie-chan (_again!), _Naughty Cat _(if only they had a DBZ major...), _YukiraKing, _and _Cloud Envy Shikamaru_.

Oh, and now we have the nice little talk about power levels. Goku is actually a little weaker than he originally is in the series (no King Kai training). Gohan's a tad stronger, due to the Oozaru mastery. Vegeta is also stronger (as well as Raditz) because of the past beatings. Piccolo and Krillin are around the same power levels they would have been, but Yamcha is a tad weaker because he didn't have King Kai's training either. I'm still assuming that Goku, although slightly weaker than he's supposed to be, is still the strongest out of all of them. This is NOT to say that he'll turn Super Saiyan first or be the one who defeats Frieza or whatever. I'm not giving away that info :D I hope that clears up some power level confusion. And remember! This is technically an AU, and slight differences change a lot in the Dragon Ball universe :D coughearlyheartdiseasecough.

Enough rambling.

Disclaimer: I got new manga in the mail today :D ...but that's about all I own of DB/DBZ/DBGT.

* * *

_Complications, Confrontations, Realizations_

"It's great to see you back, Piccolo." Goku patted the Namekian on the back and then held out his hand. "We need your help, if you're willing to give it. You see..."

"I know about Frieza." Piccolo eyed everyone closely. Bulma watched his narrowed eyes follow each of their movements. She was still afraid of Piccolo, but how could she not be? He was the scariest thing on her planet, well, up until Raditz had shown up. But Raditz was their ally. Why couldn't Piccolo be that either? Bulma took a deep breath and stepped away from Yamcha. She shouldn't have felt so worried. There were currently six fighters surrounding her, counting Gohan. She should be feeling safer here if anything.

_Vegeta..._ Her mind backtracked again, and she bit her lip, realizing she wasn't worried for herself but for the Saiyan prince.

Piccolo continued, just staring at Goku's outstretched hand. "There are advantages of being tied to Kami. Being able to keep my body was one of them. I was able to train under one of the Kais until you wished me back."

"So the Earth dragon balls are back now? Kami's back?" Krillin asked, avoiding the confusion that was arising over the mention of 'the Kais'.

Piccolo seemed distracted suddenly. His eyes turned to the environment around him, moving over the hills and landscape, the heritage that he never knew existed. "He is. I wish the old coot had told me about this place."

"You'll help us, right Piccolo?" Goku raised an eyebrow, "Whoa, whoever this King Kai guy is, he really did help you out, didn't it? Your power level is amazing."

The Namekian grunted at that, but still didn't answer. The other fighters were getting tense. None of them felt like fighting Piccolo, especially this seemingly more powerful version of Piccolo. "Who are you?" Piccolo motioned to the smaller Namekian.

"Dende, sir. Lord Guru says you're the one responsible for the Earth dragon balls?"

Again, no reply. Yamcha was getting jumpy, "Look, Piccolo. We have to worry about Frieza, so either you help us or you..."

"Mr. Piccolo." Gohan stepped up, standing next to his father after interrupting Yamcha. For once, the Namekian turned his head, looking at the little son of his rival. Gohan continued, "I saw what you did when...Uncle Raditz came."

At the Saiyan's name, Piccolo shot Raditz a dirty look, almost a death glare. He scowled, "Yeah?"

"And I wanted to thank you. For...trying to protect me." The little boy bowed slightly. "I know you and my dad weren't the greatest friends, but...thank you."

"I saw potential in you." Piccolo looked down at the child, "Even though you seemed like a cry baby. Someone toughened you up."

"That would be me." Raditz offered his hand, just like his brother was doing. Goku still had a smile on his face that seemed to only grow seeing that his crazy suggestion of a good Piccolo wasn't actually that crazy at all. "And I..." the Saiyan clenched his outstretched hand but then relaxed again. "I..._apologize_ for killing you. Sort of."

"Hmph." Piccolo stared at the open hand with indignation and instead grabbed Goku's. "You have an ally in me, Son Goku. But don't think I won't want a rematch after we get back to Earth." There was something humorous in the way he spoke. Almost as he, like everyone else, knew that the chances of all of them actually making it back to Earth would be slim.

Goku glowed. "That's great! All of us against Frieza shouldn't be a problem."

"Especially with a Super Saiyan." Raditz sounded behind them. "Do not forget our bargain, Kakarot." His impatience reminded everyone of Porunga's presence. Not that a giant dragon in the background should _need_ a reminder.

_This is it, Vegeta. This is for you_. "Ask him how to become a Super Saiyan. Ask him how to do it." Bulma told Dende stiffly. It was better than just granting Vegeta the power. That way Goku and Raditz and maybe even Gohan could learn the secret behind the legend as well. And the wish would be completely useless if Vegeta was...if Zarbon had already...

"If you're all sure..."

Bulma shot Raditz a glance who also nodded. She nodded her head, "Yes, we're sure."

Dende voiced the wish in the Namekian language, noises that made Piccolo's ears twitch in recognition. And just as Bulma hoped, the dragon replied. The response seemed short enough, which was good since she didn't want this Super Saiyan thing to be too complicated. But her hopeful expression faded when Dende turned around, not looking too happy at all. "Porunga says he can't give you an answer."

Raditz's face fell, his voice icy hard. "_What?"_

"He...He said it's different for every Saiyan. That it's not some specific piece of knowledge he can just tell you."

Goku scratched his head, "Well...that stinks."

"That _stinks_? Kakarot, we're screwed! Frieza will destroy us all. Namekian child! Wish for immortality for the Saiyan prince. That is the only solution." Raditz crossed his arms, firm in his statement.

"No, Raditz! Immortality has to be the stupidest wish I have ever heard of. Don't do it dragon!" Bulma waved a finger at Porunga, only half realizing that the dragon wouldn't understand her anyway.

"Save the wish."

Yamcha cringed at Piccolo's suggestion, "But what if Frieza..."

"Unless Frieza suddenly learns Namekian, I doubt we'll have any trouble. Send him back, Dende." Piccolo crossed his arms, letting his cape catch the end of the wind.

Dende did as the older Namekian suggested, and Porunga fell back into the dragon balls. "Son Goku." Piccolo turned to face the Saiyan. "King Kai wanted me to talk to you before we challenge Frieza."

Bulma stomped on the ground. _Vegeta...poor Vegeta. We don't have time to just sit around. We need to tell him about his wish. _She bit her lip_. How will he face not knowing how to become a Super Saiyan? _She didn't want to think about it. Bulma dragged another capsule from her pocket and stored all the dragon balls away, glad they hadn't dashed across the sky for once. Piccolo was currently talking to Goku about some sort of fighting move that was apparently super important, but she could care less. She wanted to get to Vegeta already and see if he was alive.

"Bulma?"

She turned back to see Yamcha standing a fair distance away from her. Her stomach turned and bit when the thoughts and memories of their life together came swirling through her head. She had been unfair to him. Sure, he hadn't been the most loyal or greatest boyfriend ever, but she had loved him. _Loved._ Bulma wondered when that started being in the past tense, when they were nothing more than childhood sweethearts, not mature, devoted partners. "Let's talk, Yamcha."

Vegeta could wait for a moment.

* * *

His whole body felt destroyed, absolutely mutilated. Vegeta had to restrain himself from vomiting blood, the area of impact causing his whole body to become numb with pain. _Damn it._ He didn't know who he was cursing exactly: Zarbon or himself. How could he have been so clumsy, so careless? Didn't he know he wasn't supposed to play around with his food?

Vegeta's gloved hand reached towards his back. He had tried to move his tail, but he couldn't. That connection was gone. The familiar sensation of something warm around his waist, something else to balance his body, was gone. And out of the corner of his eye, he saw the furry appendage on the ground, lifeless and bloodied.

The rage enveloping his body was what allowed him to stand. At first he was only on his elbows, then slowly, Vegeta crawled up to his feet, white boots standing in the pile of blood. His back felt raw, vulnerable, and he wobbled as he stood, not used to the absence of weight on his backside. The blood finally rolled out of his throat and flopped onto the ground, gritty, salty, and warm between his teeth. The Saiyan prince just wiped the remains before settling his eyes on his prey. "Zarbon."

"The monkey prince is stronger than I had expected. You surprise me, Vegeta." In his transformed state, Zarbon's voice was deeper yet even more sickening. The monster snapped in front of Vegeta and punched him square in the jaw, sending the Saiyan back to the ground. "Tell me Vegeta, what should I do with the Earth woman when I find her? She owes me a lot you see." A ki blast ignited in Zarbon's right hand. "Maybe I should take pity on her and just kill her quickly, not _painless_ of course, but a fast death would be most merciful, don't you think?"

Vegeta coughed up hot blood again but didn't try to stand again. His bones felt shattered, muscles stretched and strained.

"That is after I use her. That is the only things she is good for, right Vegeta?" The ki blast reflected shadows over the monster's face. "Well then, say goodbye!"

The blast left his hand and carved through the air directly heading towards Vegeta's abdomen, The surrounding air was becoming hot with energy, and Vegeta swerved, forcing his already broken body to roll out of the way, barely missing a direct hit. Shattered bits of rock flurried up, and Vegeta closed his eyes to avoid the fragments.

He pushed his body up and flashed, only a hands reach to Zarbon. The blue-skinned creature flinched back but not in time. Vegeta had grabbed him around the throat, ignoring the pangs of intense pain in his body, fed by the need for blood, the need for revenge. "You're nothing but scum, Zarbon. Not even smart enough to lead yourself. You need Frieza to guide your idiotic mind. Consider killing you a service. That way you won't be running around with your head cut off when I dispose of Frieza myself."

Zarbon choked, reaching aimlessly for the hand that was currently crushing his esophagus. All that escaped his mouth was gurgling, nonsensical phrases. Vegeta tossed his body on the ground, a blue energy blast occupying his hand. Zarbon looked at him in confusion. He said it a rasped voice, "How...how did you manage to gain this power?" He coughed helplessly, "Is it that... woman? Does...she give you that power?"

"Hmph." Vegeta sneered, "This is the power of a Saiyan." The blue light glinted in his dark eyes. "And it'll be the last thing you'll ever see."

With one last shout, the ki blast left Vegeta's hand and crushed Zarbon's body into nothing more than burnt dust. His breath ragged, Vegeta managed a smile before falling face first, exhausted.

* * *

Yamcha had led her a little away from the others. Goku and Piccolo were practicing some sort of energy manipulation thing while Gohan chatted away with Dende and Raditz. Krillin gave Yamcha a disheartening look as the bandit led Bulma to a more private surrounding.

She didn't exactly know this day would come, the day she would have to tell Yamcha about, well, everything. The warrior placed his hands on his head, frustratingly grabbing at his black hair as Bulma sat on the ground, looking at him wide eyed. "Mind explaining some stuff?"

"What do you want to know?" A stupid question; she knew that, but she was avoiding the explanation, avoiding thoughts about Vegeta, what Vegeta was to her. Because she didn't exactly know what Vegeta was. She just knew she wanted to be with him.

"When did you meet him?" Yamcha replied slowly. "It was your wish, wasn't it? Back before..."

"Before us. Yeah." Bulma rubbed her fingers together and took a deep breath. "Remember what I wished for?"

Yamcha nodded, "The perfect boyfriend. I remember..."

"No, that wasn't it." Vegeta wouldn't have been the perfect boyfriend. "I wished for my perfect man."

Yamcha lowered his eyes, "And that isn't me."

"Yamcha..."

"It never was me, Bulma." His fingers rose to her face, and it was only when he wiped the tears from her cheek that she realized she was crying. Her throat felt dry, brittle with the heaviness of her emotions. She wasn't used to crying; she was Bulma Briefs! She was an independent, strong woman who had the intelligence and beauty that most could only dream of. She and Yamcha had broken up more times than she cared to remember. But perhaps the tears were falling now because she knew this would be the last time. After this, they were done for good. He had been a huge part of her life. "Do you love him?"

She shook her head, "I don't know yet."

"Did you love me?"

Bulma grabbed his hand and swallowed the remainder of her tears. "You were a good boyfriend, Yamcha. Besides all of the cheating and complaining." She cracked a grin and he followed. Their relationship was rocky, but she was still glad it happened. Yamcha, though sometimes lazy and a little _promiscuous_, did care about her. And she cared about him. "I did."

He kissed her on the forehead, and Bulma retained her smile. "I loved you too, Bulma."

"People grow apart," she offered.

Yamcha dully nodded, "I've been wanting to be a bachelor for too long anyway."

"Hey!" She punched him hard in the arm, but she doubted it actually hurt him at all. "I think I liked it better when you were afraid of me."

"I'm _still_ a little afraid of you, let's face it." Yamcha grinned, "We're friends though, right?"

"Of course."

"With benefits maybe?"

Bulma made a disgusted face. "You're such a jerk! Remind me why I ever went out with you."

"I'm pretty sure Vegeta would kill me anyway."

She froze at that. Something about Vegeta reacting jealously towards Yamcha made her heart pulse. "You think he would?"

Yamcha scowled. "_I _don't have to like the guy, do I?"

"Oh, Yamcha." She patted him lightly on the back and quipped, "Since when do I care about your opinion anyway?"

"Bulma."

The deeper voice made Bulma turn to see Raditz staring at both of them. He looked at Yamcha, confused, but coughed to gain both of their attentions. Bulma raised a blue eyebrow, "What is it, Raditz?"

"It's Vegeta. I can't feel his ki."

* * *

He must have been seeing things.

But then again, he could feel others around him, but perhaps, with his luck, it was the Ginyu force or Frieza himself. Not her. Why would she be here? She had abandoned him. She had left him when he needed her most in the past. Why would she...

"Vegeta, please."

But those felt like her soft hands cradling his face in her lap, her fingers running through his hair and her sometimes insufferable voice echoing through his ears.

"Please be okay, Vegeta. Please."

His eyes finally opened only to see blue. Waves and waves of blue. His heart unnaturally quickened at the sight, at her smile and eyes. "...Bulma."

"Oh Kami, you're not okay, are you? You said my name."

The damned woman was smiling, cracking a joke while he was bleeding on the ground. He growled at her less than serious expression, but soon coughed as her body collided with his own. "Woman..." He felt something wet on his neck, something that wasn't blood. "Woman, what are you doing?" Vegeta could feel his temperature rising at her presence, and it was only when he sensed the several kis around him again that he sat up, gathering the strength to push her off and see that her eyes were wet. "What's wrong with your face?"

"Excuse me. My face isn't the one that's turning purple and has blood on it." She turned around after wiping the wetness from her eyes. "Goku?"

"Oh, right!" The tall Saiyan walked up and took something out of the pouch on his belt. "Here, Vegeta."

The Saiyan prince hit his hand away, "I don't need your help, Kakarot."

"Don't be an idiot, Vegeta. Take the senzu bean." Bulma grabbed the small object and held it up to him. "Here."

"The _what_?" Vegeta took the bean but inspected it before eating.

Bulma sighed, "Just eat it, you bonehead."

He gave one last grimace before consuming the bean and was immediately flooded with energy and strength. Vegeta managed to pull himself up when Bulma immediately gasped, "...Your tail."

"Vegeta?" Raditz looked pale. "What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Vegeta bit. He tried to focus on Bulma. She had this weird calming effect over him, something unexpected from someone who also made him insanely irritable. But then the fact that they were here made him slightly panic. "Why aren't you summoning the dragon? Don't you have all seven balls?"

Goku scratched his head, "Yeah...about that..."

"What, Kakarot?" Vegeta couldn't help but sound angry. Here they were, with all seven dragon balls, just standing around like confused children. Why wasn't he getting his wish? Why wasn't he a Super Saiyan? "What the fuck is going on?"

"Sh, Vegeta, calm down." Bulma grabbed his arm. "The dragon couldn't grant the wish."

"What do you mean he couldn't grant the wish?" Vegeta's eyes narrowed on the grown Namekian. "And who the fuck is that?"

"Charming, aren't you?" Bulma sighed. "This is Piccolo. He's here to help us beat Frieza."

"Frieza is mine." Vegeta cracked his knuckles. "Raditz, come here." He had to strategize. Now that he was unable to reclaim his birthright through the dragon balls, he needed to figure it out on his own. Of course there would be more glory in reaching his ascension by himself, but he needed time for that. And time was slowly becoming a privilege. He was surprised the other Namekian was lasting this long. "Gohan. ...Kakarot." He needed all the help he could manage. "Before we attack Frieza, we need to take out the other soldiers. Woman, do you still have your ship."

Bulma nodded, "Yeah, but..."

"Good, return home with your Earthling. You can take the bald one with you too. They'll be useless here."

Krillin argued, "We're fighters too, Vegeta. I don't know what gives you the right to be so pompous, but I'm here to help my friends."

"Fine. But prepare to die then." Vegeta shrugged. The Earthling's physical state didn't concern him. He only wanted Bulma safe.

"Wouldn't be the first time..." Krillin mumbled.

Bulma wasn't too happy with the idea however. She got all flustered, fists clenched and eyes angry. "I'm not leaving you again, Vegeta."

"Woman..." His dark eyes looked at her seriously, trying to see the lie. But she seemed confident, stubborn. _So annoying_. His mouth twitched to a brief smile when he saw her like that. "This is not your battle. I have killed Zarbon, but all of Frieza's soldiers are dangerous to you." The thought made him remember something. _I still have to kill that traitorous Nappa..._ "First we go to Frieza's ship and wipe out the crew. The monster doesn't deserve an escape route."

Goku raised a finger, "That's great and all, but Vegeta?"

Vegeta scoffed. He already knew he wouldn't like this Saiyan anymore than his idiotic older brother. "_What_?"

"I think we should eat first." Goku grabbed his stomach which was grumbling angrily. "I can't exactly fight on an empty stomach."

The Saiyan prince rolled his eyes. _Bufoon. _"Fine, whatever." He turned around and got ready to take off, ready to lead them all to Frieza's ship, but the small hand grabbing his own stopped him dead. Bulma's small, pale fingers intertwined in his own, not seeming to mind the blood staining his white gloves. Vegeta looked at her over his shoulder, expecting a joking grin or sardonic expression. But the woman only smiled. "What is it, Woman?"

"Let me fly with you?"

He caught his voice in his throat, practically choking on his Adam's apple. Vegeta nodded, confused, and grabbed her around the waist. He could hear Gohan's stifled giggles in the background and had to repress the urge of punching the half-Saiyan in the gut.

* * *

Gohan waddled from the lake, water dripping from the blue spandex underneath his armor. There was a giant crab in his hand, so large, Bulma wondered how they would manage to eat it all, even with three and a half Saiyans.

The young boy didn't seem to agree. "I hope this is enough..."

For the next several minutes, they began roasting the crab and eating. Bulma had to admit, she was famished. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, and although foreign, the crab tasted good. Gohan wasn't such a bad cook, even with ki energy. He must have picked something up from Chichi.

Her blue eyes caught Vegeta in the firelight, which was dim compared to the Namekian suns. She was feeling drowsy, but the constant danger of their situation was keeping her up. Bulma wondered when she would begin running on pure adrenaline alone. After stuffing his face, rather elegantly compared to Goku, Raditz, and Gohan, Vegeta left the small circle of fighters and walked away, only Bulma's eyes following him. Biting her lip, the scientist got up from her floor position and followed the Saiyan prince.

He was next to a tiny grouping of tall, toothpick like trees, arms crossed and eyes scanning the horizon line. His face was completely unreadable, which wasn't unlike Vegeta at all, but Bulma had an idea of what he was thinking about. She shuffled behind him. "I'm sorry."

Vegeta didn't turn around at her voice. He kept his eyes focused forward and breathed easy, though she could see the stress slightly in his eyes. "For what, Woman? Besides being incredibly..."

"About your wish." She stood next to him, still unsure of whether to touch him or not. Bulma didn't have Yamcha hovering over her conscience anymore. She could freely do..._anything_ with Vegeta now, but there was still that nagging thought of if Vegeta wanted to do anything with her. And he wasn't really the type of person to have the oh so common 'relationship talk' with. Not only was this not really the time or place to be discussing something as arbitrary as their relationship status, but she doubted Vegeta had a full grasp of what a relationship was. Bulma sighed and decided to take the slow approach. She wasn't going to screw this up, not again. "I'm sorry the dragon didn't know."

"I hadn't even realized you summoned the damned thing."

Bulma blinked. That should have been obvious. The sky was pitch black when Porunga had been summoned. "You were probably unconscious."

Vegeta sneered at the statement, as Bulma should have known. He didn't need the reminder that he had been knocked out by Zarbon. Her eyes traced his bloody back. "And about your tail...it must have..."

"It did." Vegeta ended the subject with his bitter tone. For a while, they both remained silent, and Bulma finally thought she should leave when Vegeta turned around, black eyes piercing. "Why are you here?"

It was an innocent question, Bulma realized. He was genuinely confused, and she didn't know how to respond to that. So she countered with a question of her own. "Why do you _think_ I'm here?"

His eyebrows furrowed at the words. "What?"

"Really, Vegeta. Think. You're a pretty smart guy, not as smart as me, but..."

"Woman." His voice was low.

Bulma laughed, "Sorry, but really. I've could have left with Gohan ages ago, but I'm still here. I'm here for you."

She couldn't help but notice the involuntary smile occupying the Saiyan's face. It was small, and probably not even considered to be a smile by most people's standards, but for Vegeta, he was practically ear to ear grinning. "What about the weak idiot?"

"He has a name." She walked in front of him and tried to read his face. Seeing the light glint in his eyes, Bulma smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Bulma laughed a bit when Vegeta flinched back, not out of disgust but from awkward discomfort. She didn't let him get too far though, pushing her body into his. He was so warm, so nice. His hard body was filled with unbridled energy that made her skin twist and bubble, in a good way. Her breath became forced and heavy as Vegeta slid his own hands onto her hips. Their eyes locked, their bodies shifting closer, and for once, for a brief moment, Bulma forgot where they were and what they were doing there. She forgot that there was a space tyrant currently battling only one Namekian warrior, a strong one, yes, but still. She forgot that in any hour she could be dead. She forgot her past history with Vegeta, the anguish, the betrayal, the rescues, because all that didn't matter. The past didn't matter when they had the present.

Her blue eyes flickered up, "I have a name too."

"Bulma," he breathed. His gloves were still bloody, and he was getting blood on her cheek when he touched her. Vegeta scowled and removed them, wiping the traces of blood off with his fingers before kissing her.

* * *

A/N:

I feel like I had more to say, but I don't remember. So ...uhhh...thanks for reading! And if you have questions/comments/concerns/ please review! Until next time!


	15. Old Friends

A/N:

I DON'T EXPECT FORGIVENESS. But I figure I owe you all some explanation as to why I went MIA for a brief period. And I guess all I can say is that I was at a loss as to where I wanted to take the story next and my internship took a whole lot out of me. But I got so many reviews that I decided just to sit down, forget about cleaning my room, and write you all a chapter. And I am going to continue to write the next chapter, which I will post much sooner than some stupid two weeks and a half gap. Sigh. I'm sorry. mousiwake goziamasen.

Thanks to all my reviewers! And I hope all of you readers also enjoyed last chapter!

_Cloud Envy Shikamaru, KayuraK _(teehee, i love the announcer man), _ScoobyDoobyDee, BloodyXan-Xan _(phew, glad you liked the fighting scene! those are troublesome), _Jellyfrosh, slev3131 _(haha, yeah sorry about MAW. that one was kind of a downer...), _Marie Fortune (_this fic is going to go to the Trunks Saga...at least. and thanks!), _The0Blind0Writer_ (can't get between Goku and food...but yeah, I see what you mean), _joys, Many Voices In My Head, JeMS7, dyingdreamsv2 (_eep. i hope you can wait til, two weeks later on a Saturday...fail.), _gege, BlackDiamond07 _(sorry for the lack of shout out! I didn't see your review for 13!), _The Crystal Rose, Girness _(I will! Though I have a nasty habit of only reading completed things), _TheDeadlyColera _(oh! glad you remembered that!), _Gindorf091, PerfectLover, Greenis my fav color, demonic angel23, bvprincess23 (_Yeah, it's obvious who one now), _gue22 _(there's more Goku in this one!), _Naughty Cat, Yukira King, johncorn, v-mangrl, Greendragonsheart. Eure, Smile-thebestthingintheworld, keira-kyuketsuki, FishTVCo (_slow turnover T_T), _anny _(Vegeta's letting his emotions getting ahead of himself. he doesn't exactly really know what to do with her yet :D but thanks!), _bimbosarahsurfchick, jdboss1, Linneh, Trixie-chan _(wow thanks :D i'm glad you like my characterizations ahhhh), _MK08 _(the lottery would be so nice T_T write fanfic all day long...), _bimbosarahsurfchick _(again! and good luck with work finding!), _dbz-trunks-zbd _(hehe stories, books, whatever :D), _Cara2012, crazykk2, mulayhna, Katsuargi _(yeah, the first chapters make me cringe sometimes. Maybe I'll go back and edit one day. And AH GT. Maybe I can attempt to fix it.), _Vehilka Clearskies, purpleshinigami, koii _(any reviews are fine with me :D but super detailed sounds exciting!), _apple pie 33, The Azu Soul Lilly _(glad you're back! and ahh goddess. makes me super happy!), _Steo, _and _6teenana _(from ch 7!).

Goodness. I'm so impressed at all of you that read both _Make A Wish _and this story in a day. My goodness. I bet my eyes would kill me.

Anyway, I'm glad you all enjoyed the love and pace that I was going at :D Though the plot has once again decided to take over...DARN YOU CANONICITY.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Seriously.

* * *

_Old Friends_

She was incredibly mind boggling. The Saiyan prince had stopped trying to understand her actions, her thought process; it was thoroughly impossible. But at the moment, he was trying to stop his own thoughts from imploding and found Bulma to be the perfect distraction. He focused on her blue hair, thin and soft, and her eyes and pale skin. Not that his destiny had been ripped away from him. Not that he was about to face death head on in a matter of hours -probably less.

"Vegeta?"

His dark eyes shifted downwards, and the prince sighed, feeling the vibrations her voice produced against his throat. He couldn't help but grip her tighter. Vegeta couldn't explain this sudden need for closeness, and he half scowled at the realization that he actually _liked_ Bulma. Well, at least when she kept her mouth shut. He loosened his grip a little. "What?"

"What are we going to do now?"

_Die._ But he couldn't say that. Damn himself for wanting to protect her. _I better not regret this._ Vegeta huffed before continuing and completely stepping away from her. Bulma looked a little hurt, but he didn't care. "I will become a Super Saiyan. I don't need those useless balls. It is my destiny, and I will reach it."

"That's all well and good, Vegeta, but seriously. How are you going to do that?"

He bit back the aggravated cry wanting to escape and opted instead for a softer, yet increasingly bitter tone. "Do not doubt me, Woman. The Super Saiyan is mine and mine alone. I will find a way." His voice rang confidence, but Vegeta wasn't a fool. He didn't know what exactly caused the Super Saiyan to awaken. The only relief he held was that the dragon had said the transformation was different for each Saiyan, meaning that there actually _was_ a transformation. And since it was possible, it would only make sense that a Saiyan with royal blood would be the one to transform, not some sniveling, third class...

"Hey, guys. Hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Vegeta rolled his eyes. _Kakarot_. _What does that buffoon want now?_

"What is it Goku?" Bulma crossed her arms, visibly irritated. Vegeta smirked at their shared frustration.

Goku just scratched his head, smiling innocently. Vegeta had to admit that he was curious about Kakarot. He acted like a fool, but from what he could sense, he was no weakling. He was able to handle Nappa easily enough, even though the Saiyan prince knew the traitor wasn't dead. _His damn ki is rising. _Vegeta had been tracing Nappa's ki for a while now, when not distracted by Zarbon, legendary Super Saiyans, and the blasted Earth woman. The bald Saiyan was slowly recovering, probably inside one of Frieza's regeneration tanks. _Bastard_.

But he was digressing. Vegeta was concerned about Kakarot's ki right now. The third class had a relatively high power level even though he was probably suppressing most of it. _How powerful is he?_ He knew the looks Bulma would get when she talked about 'Goku'. And Gohan had a similar reaction. He was their supposed hero.

_Some hero though. He couldn't even stop Raditz._

Yet Kakarot's current ki told a much different story.

"Haha, I _was_ interrupting something, wasn't I, Bulma? See, I always wondered about your wish back then. Just think, if I didn't get that initial Kamehameha wave off then we would have had to rely on _Oolong_ to wish for something and that probably would have been..."

"Would you shut up, Kakarot!" Vegeta could not deal with this clown. "Tell me what happened."

Goku's wide smile only increased, "Well...I can't exactly shut up _and_ tell you at the same time..."

_Idiot!_ The Saiyan prince could feel his muscles tense as his power level increased from Goku's stupidity. It was then that he knew, unlike Kakarot's son, he would _not_ be getting along with Kakarot himself. He was about to physically express how he felt about the idiot Saiyan when Bulma put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder and centered herself between the two. "Goku, not now."

"Yeah, this isn't the time to joke." There was a familiar glint in Kakarot's eyes, something Vegeta had experienced many times himself. "Though I have to admit, I'm kind of excited to face this Frieza guy. His strength sounds unbelievable."

Bulma cringed, "You're _excited_? What's wrong with you, Goku?"

"He's a Saiyan." Vegeta crossed his arms, stepping away from Bulma's shadow. "What is it you wish to tell us, Kakarot?"

"Piccolo and Dende left. It seems that Nail was off fighting Frieza by himself, and they went to see how he was."

"Are they mad?" Vegeta widened his stance. "I would be surprised if the Namekian was still in one piece!"

Goku shrugged, "Get ready to be surprised then. I can still feel his ki...though it is extremely low."

The Saiyan prince just growled, sensing that Goku was right. Bulma approached from behind again, both hands wrapped around Vegeta's upper bicep. "What about Frieza?" Her blue eyes bulged a little, and Vegeta felt her nails dig slightly into his skin. "Can you guys sense him too?"

"Gohan, Raditz, Krillin, and Yamcha are intercepting him." Goku's voice was solemn, obviously not happy with the idea.

Neither was Vegeta. "You're absolutely insane. You just sent your child to his death."

"Gohan told me he had a plan." Goku was becoming defensive, his ki spiking. "I trust him."

"And why aren't you going with him, Kakarot? Too afraid?" Vegeta smirked. "That's fine. I will go with them, and wish or not, I'll defeat Frieza."

"No, Vegeta. We'll go to his ship like you said. We can handle his troops together and try to figure out this Super Saiyan thing in the meantime before we confront him."

"And what about me, huh?" Bulma stomped, garnering both of their attention. "What are you planning on doing with _me_? Just abandon me in the middle of this alien planet!"

Goku scratched his head, "Err...well it's not exactly safe to come along, Bulma. But you probably have a Capsule House, don't you? You could hide in that cave over there..."

"No, no way! I am not staying in some cave! Vegeta won't leave me alone like that, will you Vegeta?"

The Saiyan prince didn't answer right away. "Woman..." He removed her hands from his arm and placed them in his own, dark eyes shooting up to her face. He saw Bulma smile in relief, but he took a step back. "Stay right here like Kakarot says."

"Bu-But Vegeta!"

"You're entirely too weak to defend yourself. I don't need you as extra baggage." He turned to the other Saiyan. "I presume we're going now?"

"Whenever you're ready, Vegeta." Goku waved slowly to the pissed off scientist. "Sorry, Bulma."

She crossed her arms, face turning red in anger. "I hate both of you."

Both of the Saiyans then flew off, ignoring the shouts of 'asshole' from the woman left on the ground.

* * *

"So...you and Bulma, huh?"

This wasn't happening. Vegeta was not behind some Namekian rock, trying to strategize with some third class nitwit that only seemed interested in frivolous relations. Why did he care about him and the Woman? It was none of his business!

Goku seemed to sense Vegeta's thoughts. "I'm her best friend, you know. I'm just trying to look out for her."

"Friend?" Vegeta hissed out the word, not quite understanding their relationship even after that brief description. "Wasn't that stupid scar faced weakling her 'friend' as well?" His incisors jutted briefly from his mouth, mind distracted from the multiple kis currently pacing throughout Frieza's ship yards away.

The other Saiyan's face became a soft shade of red, "We're not _that _kind of friends."

"And what kind of _friend_ is that?" He narrowed his eyes, jealousy building in his chest and mind. Although he had blatantly seen the Woman's and the scar faced idiot's less than platonic nature, he still couldn't stomach the fact that they had been together, that he had touched her, kissed her when she was rightfully his.

There must have been anger showing through his eyes for Goku quickly gulped and pointed back over to their destination. "Why are we talking about this now, Vegeta? Don't we need to...uh...concentrate on fighting or something?"

_The moron's right_. Vegeta shouldn't have been thinking about Bulma now. Not when he had revenge to think of. "There are four main energy sources at each 90 degree interval of the ship." Vegeta pointed at the circular, black and white structure. "After we secure the area, you will meet me in the center of the ship. There, you will wait for my signal and then we destroy each energy output center." The Saiyan prince paused for a second and glanced at his blood stained armor. "Actually, Kakarot, meet me at the third energy output. It should be 270 degrees away from the top section there, going clockwise."

Goku scratched his head, "...270...what?"

"...Forget it." Vegeta had to fight back the strong urge to blast Kakarot in the face. "Let me put this in terms your simple minded brain can process." He spoke carefully, with condescending purpose. "You kill all the people you can and then report back to me. Got it, Kakarot?"

"Sure, Vegeta, but can you call me Goku? I'm not really used to that Kakarot name."

"Your name is Kakarot." Vegeta felt that was answer enough. Before flying down, He quickly tracked the other kis, surprised to find that all of them were relatively okay. Bulma's was extremely hard to trace, however, her weak ki dim in the mass of powerful energies. But Vegeta still managed to find it, hiding away and safe.

"And...do I really have to kill all those people?"

Vegeta glared. Sometimes, Kakarot was absolutely unSaiyan like. _He would have been an excellent fighter if it weren't for those Earthlings. _But if he was anything like his son, Kakarot had little barriers to his full potential. It made the prince relent. "Make sure they do not get in my way. Or I will kill them."

The predator like eyes from Son Goku had Vegeta internally grinning. "Alright then." Goku patted the prince's back, making the shorter man flinch. "Let's get going!"

They both moved in tandem, energies skyrocketing as they flew forward to the ship. The guards pacing outside immediately shouted to each other and began maneuvering guns. Frieza's minions shot the weak energy blasts directly towards them, but both Saiyans simply smiled before vanishing. There were confused yells from below and then aching screams of pain when Vegeta reappeared and sent a wave of purple light to incinerate most of their bodies.

Goku wasn't as ruthless. The taller fighter punched efficiently, aiming for knockouts instead of straight out deaths. But no matter which tactic the Saiyans employed, both were successful of emptying the space ship of any conscious life. Both were smiling with the invigorating effects of battle, adrenaline and endorphins pounding through their veins. One had a slightly more sadistic smirk on his face, but both Saiyans soon found themselves looking at each other, clear respect apparent.

"Hey Vegeta, you're pretty good." Goku wiped a line of sweat on his brow. "That one move you did...Garlic whatever...seemed like it could give my Kamehameha a run for its money."

Vegeta didn't understand half the things spurting out of the third class's mouth so he chose to respond with an obligatory grunt. But Goku didn't get the message. He continued to follow Vegeta down the hallway of Frieza's now empty ship, trailing behind like a lost puppy. "We should definitely spar later."

"Spar? You?" Vegeta scoffed. "It'd be a _privilege_ for you to spar with Saiyan royalty, Kakarot. Do not make that request so lightly."

"Hey, just saying it could be fun, Vegeta." Goku scratched his head. "Where are you taking me?"

"I am not taking _you_ anywhere. I am going to get a new uniform that isn't stained with weakling entrails. You can wait here."

"Sure." Goku went off to the side, watching the Saiyan prince continue down the hallway. He was never too patient when it came to waiting around, and Goku found his mind wandering. He quirked an eyebrow suddenly. "Uh, Vegeta?"

Vegeta stopped but half wanted to continue along the hallway and ignore the other Saiyan completely. "It can wait, Kakarot."

"...But there's a ki rising."

That stopped any forward motion. Vegeta immediately scanned the area and became rigid at the recognizable signature. But that feeling soon passed, replaced with relief and the satisfying thought of revenge. "It's Nappa."

"Nappa?" Goku scratched his head, "Oh! That bald guy."

"You were supposed to dispose of him." Vegeta continued his walk towards the equipment storage containers. "Now I'll have to do it myself." The Saiyan prince rounded another corner and stopped in front of the white lockers, quickly looking through the suits of armor. "Damn, they ran out of my size."

"What about this one?" Goku picked up a smaller piece of armor from a nearby locker. This one lacked the extended shoulder pads like Vegeta's current set.

But he took the item anyway. "This one's out of style, but it'll have to do."

Goku stifled a laugh. "I didn't really imagine you being so into fashion. Maybe you have more in common with Bulma than I thought."

"Nonsense. Me and the Woman have nothing in common." Vegeta walked over and pulled out the undersuits as well, handing Goku one and a set of armor. "Take this one. It's better than the orange rags you and your friends are so accustomed to."

"Oh, alright." Shamelessly, Goku immediately took off the Kame gi and replaced it with the armor. Vegeta grunted, somewhat surprised that he looked...sort of familiar. The taller man raked his fingers through his upright, black hair. "I'm not sorry, you know."

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at the sudden statement, stopping briefly as he undressed as well. "Excuse me, Kakarot?"

"For not killing him. It's not how I am."

"You're less Saiyan than your son." He said the insult simply but only half believed the words. Goku looked like a Saiyan in that armor. His ki, though suppressed, felt as powerful as a Saiyan's ki should. Vegeta finished changing."But you actually did me a favor. Now I get to kill him myself."

Goku silently followed him again through the halls until Vegeta pinpointed the energy. He had been right before; Nappa was recovering in the tanks, probably gaining strength too from that near death experience Kakarot managed to give him. Vegeta raised a hand to punch in the code to open the metal door, but the grip on his shoulder stopped the motion. He snarled, "What is it _now_, Kakarot? You will not stop me from this."

"No...I won't. Some people only get so many chances. But are you sure he doesn't want to help?"

Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Goku scratched the back of his neck, shrugging. "Maybe he hates Frieza just as much as you."

_Impossible. _The Saiyan prince kept his voice low and dark. "I'm going to kill him."

"Maybe. But let me just ask him first. We need all the help we can get."

"Your naivety will be the death of you," Vegeta warned, pressing the code to the room.

Goku looked ahead to the rejuvenation chamber, seeming unimpressed by the surrounding futuristic technology. He just looked at Nappa, the giant brute still suspended in the blue green liquid. "So far I've been good."

_He's still in there?_ Vegeta was somewhat shocked. Usually, stays in the tank never lasted more than an hour. But perhaps Appule or another one of Frieza's minions never got a chance to release him, not when they were busy getting killed by him and Kakarot. "You can ask him then. Maybe your moronic minds will get along."

"Being nice won't kill you either, you know."

Vegeta grunted and hit the controls next to the rejuvenation chamber. He felt nothing but disdain for the other Saiyan in the tank and his former comrade. For someone who had been around the Saiyan prince his whole life, Nappa was nothing to him on any sort of personal level, if Vegeta had a personal level at all back then. He remembered nothing exactly beneficial about Nappa's presence around him, only that he had been sent away with the older Saiyan when his father had him stay with Frieza. Raditz had joined their motley crew much later. The other Saiyan had lucked out and had been away on a raid when the so called "meteor" struck.

As a young boy he had wandered if there had been any other Saiyans. Surely other ones had been out on raids like Raditz had. Nappa was the one that had told him they wouldn't be coming back. That everyone else was dead.

And that wasn't a lie.

_All of the Saiyans were dead. There had been others out in space, but they were gone now. Vegeta was still a young child and had been naïve to believe that all of those Saiyans had simply vanished and died. It was only when Raditz arrived back on Frieza's base, battered and claiming his spaceship was attacked, that Vegeta began to get suspicious._

"_What's wrong with you?"_

_The other Saiyan, with ragged black hair and bloody armor, stared at the short boy. "Sir! Sorry!" He immediately bowed, lowering his head and giving Vegeta an apologetic look. "I-I..."_

"_No blubbering. It's pathetic looking. As one of the last of our race, I demand you _act_ like an Elite, even if you aren't one."_

"_Yes, sir."_

_Vegeta raised an eyebrow and glanced to the charred metal on the space pod. At the news that a Saiyan was landing, Vegeta had rushed away from stupid, boring Saibamen training to meet his new subordinate. "What happened?"_

"_I think I was attacked, sir. Luckily, I was close to base."_

"_You were attacked close to base?" It seemed unlikely, insanely weird, but Vegeta couldn't help the gnawing suspicion suddenly in him. Perhaps he was looking for an excuse to be even more furious with his so called 'care taker'. Or perhaps he was just incredibly bored by the easy tasks given to him. But for whatever reason, Vegeta wanted to find out more about these 'attacks', especially since they were on one of his men. He had pride for his people, even as a little boy. "Your name?"_

"_Raditz ,sir."_

"_Father?"_

_He shuffled his feet, "Bardock."_

_Vegeta snuffed. A third class. Just like he had thought. But any Saiyan was better than none. He lightly smiled, patting Raditz on the back.. "I am Prince Vegeta."_

"_I-I know, sir."_

"_And you are to only obey my command, not some stupid demon who terrified our fathers. We are not those men." _

_They weren't men at all, both boys not breaking 4 feet. Yet there was still an understanding between them. Vegeta didn't consider it to be loyalty. He wasn't going to be loyal to anyone if it meant sacrificing any of his personal safety and advancement. But the young boy still liked the idea of having someone around who wasn't balding or an alien. Raditz, however, had a different idea. "I am only loyal to you, my prince."_

"_Good." Vegeta continued to smile. _

He didn't tell Raditz about how he had killed three of Frieza's men when he had been 'questioning' about the true events of Vegeta-sei's demise. He didn't tell Raditz that it was Frieza's men that scoured the galaxy for left over 'Saiyan trash', exterminating them like worthless vermin. He was still young, but Vegeta was never dumb. He was born with a strategic mind, and tactics told him that he needed a calm Raditz, not some blundering idiot. He already had that in Nappa. But more than anything, he had needed more time. But not anymore.

Goku was staring down Nappa, who was struggling in the tank like a trapped animal. Vegeta smiled at the scene before opening the tank and letting Nappa free to take off the breathing mask and stand up , only wearing his battle armor under garments. "You! You'll pay for that!" Nappa was already making a fist, aiming it towards Goku's face.

The other Saiyan didn't flinch. He caught the fist easily, holding it inches away from his nose. "I wouldn't be doing that."

"Shut, up! With Vegeta here, you're totally..."

"Be quiet." The Saiyan prince stepped forward slowly, shoulder to shoulder with Goku. "_You_ do not deserve to speak. _Traitors_ don't deserve anything but a slow, painful demise." He tapped the edge of the glass. Fear ignited the bald Saiyan's eyes, inducing a devilish grin on Vegeta's face. "But Kakarot here is willing to make you an offer, one that if you fail to agree to, will certainly mean your end at my hands."

Nappa stuttered. His body shook with pure terror. "Ve-Vegeta...you can't."

"Oh, I can. I would be more than happy to end your miserable existence right now. But he insists that we need more fighters to destroy Frieza." Vegeta snuffed, "Though I should be more than enough."

Nappa ripped his hand away from Goku. "You're both insane. Taking on Lord Frieza...it's a death sentence. Unless you..." his eyes widened. "You got the wish?"

Vegeta glared. "You wouldn't be standing here right now if I did! I will be a Super Saiyan; do not think otherwise. It is mine to have. You know my father said so."

The older Saiyan grunted before walking away from the tank and grabbing his armor. Nappa cracked his neck, the thick, wet muscles looking strained and tired from the previous beating. He was incredibly weak, and Vegeta wondered what help Kakarot thought Nappa could offer. _He's a goody-goody. He would try to convert everyone to be some sugary brand of hero. _Vegeta scoffed at the thought of ever being like that. He was no hero. He wasn't out to kill Frieza to better the universe. He was a prince seeking revenge, nothing more.

Nappa stretched the armor over his shoulders, "Your father was a fool. Yours was too."

It took both Vegeta and Goku a few seconds to realize he was talking to the youngest Saiyan. Goku blinked, "My father?"

"Oh, you didn't know him, did you?" Nappa shook his head, "Poor bastard. Claimed that Lord Frieza was out to destroy the Saiyan race and then decided to go after the emperor himself. Even though this was _after_ King Vegeta had been granted Lord Frieza's help."

"Fuck Frieza's help." Vegeta bared his teeth. "He _was_ the one who destroyed our race! He embarrassed us, Nappa! He made us look like groveling fools, doing his dirty work while he sat on his ass laughing! Why do you hold this loyalty?" Vegeta clenched his fists, ki rising, room shaking. "Why are you so loyal to the monster that destroyed our people and not _me_? _I_ am the one who will be our redeemer. _I _will restore the Saiyan race to its former glory!"

"And how do you plan on doing that? With mating with that sick human? You're a traitor more than I am, Vegeta." Nappa glanced down. "You don't even have a tail. You're not a Saiyan."

In one, fierce movement, Vegeta grabbed Nappa from behind and tore out the other Saiyan's tail, wrapping the dismembered appendage around the older Saiyan's throat. Coughed screams reverberated against the walls as velvety drops of blood pooled on the floor. "You'll die on your words."

"Vegeta..."

Goku's hand was on the Saiyan prince's shoulder, but Vegeta ignored the touch. He only gripped tighter, cutting off Nappa's circulation and causing the bald Saiyan's skin to take on a blue hue. He felt the kid drop, falling and falling until it was barely detectable. Finally, Nappa gagged and Vegeta released his body on the ground.

Goku took a step back. "You..."

"What?" Vegeta growled.

"You didn't kill him."

The Saiyan prince nodded and kicked Nappa in the back before dropping the brown, bloody tail on the ground. "The bastard doesn't deserve to be killed by someone like me. That would seem almost noble." Vegeta grabbed a nearby cloth, wiping his white gloves clean. "There's not one shred of nobility left in his body."

"I thought..." Goku shook his head in disbelief. "I thought you wouldn't even hesitate killing him."

"Well it wouldn't be the first time you thought wrong, now would it?" Vegeta let out an intake of breath to try and calm his ki. Although Frieza lacked a scouter, the others could detect him, and he didn't need anyone getting antsy. "Pick up his body."

Goku hesitated, "Why?"

"Because he doesn't deserve the right to die. I was wrong before."

Vegeta led Kakarot to a nearby room packed with escape pods. He pressed a button on one of the side control panels, opening the metal roof to reveal the green, relatively clear sky. Vegeta directed Goku into placing Nappa's unconscious body into one of the pods, where the Saiyan prince quickly pulled some wires. "Communication system." Vegeta pulled another one. "Hibernation unit."

"Where are you sending him?"

He didn't answer right away. Vegeta first plugged in the coordinates and closed the door, watching the singular pod and the despicable man vanish in the mass of green white clouds. "To Hell."

* * *

Bulma didn't hesitate to take a bath. She was in desperate need of smelling clean, even though a part of her hated that at the same time she was wiping of any trace of Vegeta. _Ew, since when did I get like this?_

Slightly disgusted with herself, she dipped into the steaming water, letting waves of hot air and liquid soothe her body into a more serene state. Her mind was still turning. How could it not? As much as she wanted to-as much as she told herself she did, she really didn't get Vegeta. Whenever she thought he was finally ready to take the next step, he would do something completely idiotic that seemed like he didn't like her at all. Such as leaving her alone on some alien planet while crazy, blood thirsty emperors ran around.

How romantic.

She wondered if Vegeta would ever now what _love_ was. Not that she was saying she loved him. No, not at all. She just didn't want to get so emotionally invested with someone who wouldn't even say he loved her. "Maybe I can teach him" Bulma smiled to herself, draining the tub and drying herself off. "Let's face it, Bulma Briefs. If anyone can teach that stubborn Saiyan, it's you."

Her hands wiped the steamed mirror, and Bulma smiled with relief. She looked so much better, no more dirt stains or worried features. It was amazing how cathartic a bath could be. "Not bad." She pulled a bit at the corner of her eyes and blew out her hair, keeping it straight and smooth. Next were the clothes, which she just kept simple with Capsule Corp. attire. She was in the middle of a war zone after all, and it wasn't like she wouldn't look good in anything she wore.

"So boring. Those guys are such jerks." She plopped down on one of the Capsule House's couches with a fashion magazine in tow. There was nothing more frustratingly boring than sitting on her butt while her friends were risking their lives. She wanted to see what was happening. Although she knew she might get in the way or even get hurt, she wanted to at least be _useful_. That was impossible from this location.

Her mind quickly reverted back to thoughts of the Saiyan prince. And for once, she wasn't focused on his horrible past or even their past memories together. She wondered what it would be like bringing him back to Earth with her, how her parents would react to her final break up with Yamcha and her new man being a prideful, arrogant alien. Then again, both her parents were so oblivious to most things, she doubted they would actually care too much.

But what about Vegeta himself? Would he like Earth life? Goku adapted well enough, but Goku didn't know any better. Would he want to stay with her? Would he want to marry her? Would he want kids?

Bulma bit her lip at the last two thoughts. Since when was she even thinking about children? "Though maybe if he's anything like Gohan..."

Her thoughts stopped at the knock on the door. That was unexpected, most certainly, and she doubted that if her friends were really going after Frieza that they would be back so soon. She cringed back in the chair. _Then who is it?_

"Nice place here, isn't it Burter?"

That voice sounded familiar. Bulma crawled down on the floor, moving into the small kitchen and placing her back against the cold refrigerator, her body blocked by the bar top separating this room from the living room.

"Jeice, just open the door."

_Crap!_ She unknowingly banged her body against the refrigerator door, making a loud metallic sound. _Crap, crap!_

"...There's something in there, Burter."Jeice's accent was undeniable. Soon, the Capsule House door was broken open, and two shadows, one tall and one short, appeared inside. Bulma covered her mouth, trying to suppress the cry of fear wanting to escape her throat. Jeice continued walking, and soon she heard the familiar beep of a scouter sounding. "...Hmph. Such a low power level. Could just be a rat."

Bulma rolled her eyes at the familiar saying, but shrugged it off. She needed to be fully aware, to not move or make any sort of noise otherwise she'd be screwed.

The other, unfamiliar voice spoke. "Whatever. I'm starving. Ginyu's rations are a joke."

_Eep._

There was nowhere for her to go, no other place for her to escape them. Bulma bit on her lip again, trying to stop the tears and her hands from shaking, but she knew it was inevitable. She was done for.

The two finally made their way into the kitchen, where both stopped dead at the sight of her. Bulma's eyes only widened in fear. Jeice looked exactly the same, with red skin and bright white hair. He hadn't grown at all, but the other guy was much taller, with blue skin and fang like teeth. She quickly scurried to her feet and tried to hop over the bar counter, but the blue alien had already grabbed her arm, dragging her back to face them both. The blue, snake like alien cracked a grin. "Don't bother trying to run away from me, Rat. You can't escape the fastest being in the universe."

"Let me go!" Bulma tried to pull her arm away, but the alien just tightened his grip, creating a vice over her arm. Bulma tinged at the pain, but she didn't cry out. They didn't deserve that kind of satisfaction.

"Well, what do you say, Jeice? Should I let her go? Or kill her or bring her back to the captain?"

Jeice was frozen. The short, red alien narrowed his eyes when he looked at Bulma, and a few seconds later, his head snapped back, recognition finally there. "It's...it's you!"

The blue alien's red eyes glanced to his comrade. "You know this...this _thing?_"

"It's Vegeta's old toy. I can't believe he went through all that trouble to get you back. Thought he killed you or you just outted yourself, ya know?"

"Get off of me! Let me go!" Bulma tried to escape again, but it was hopeless. The tears were burning her eyes, but even as her vision started to blur, she could see Jeice approach her.

"I think that's exactly what we _won't_ do. Lord Frieza wanted you back then. Safe to say he'd still be interested in you now. Let's bring her back to the cap'n."

The blue alien, Burter, nodded and swung Bulma over his shoulder, after grabbing a soda from the fridge nearby.

* * *

A/N:

When did the Ginyu Force get here and how did they find Bulma? What's Gohan's plan to stall Frieza? How's Nail and Piccolo? Why did Vegeta let Nappa go? Will Bulma be okay?

so many questions! and some of them will be answered next chapter...which I will be writing after dinner! Thanks guys for dealing with my awfully timed updates T_T Hope you liked it!


	16. Learning Curve

A/N:

Did you know that on cruise ships it costs $.75/minute to use the internet? Yeah, I didn't. Hence the lateness of this update. Will work on writing more and updating in a more timely fashion. Promise!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter :D I love and appreciate all of your reviews:

_grumpirah, MK08, The Crystal Rose, Death101-Fox Version _(two reviews! thanks so much! I love Goku's seeming naivety)_, ZombieChick422_, _menga88, elleelle, Greendragonsheart_, _Trixie-chan, 6teenana _(In the manga, Goku doesn't find out he killed his grandfather until the showdown with Vegeta. I haven't watched Kai...except for a couple episodes during a Memorial day marathon. is it good? and thanks for the multiple reviews!), _vegetaboo _(once a day is kind of tough, I'll go back to once a week though!), _Many Voices In My Head _(NEXT ONE WILL BE FASTER), _KayuraK _(haha nope, guess not!)_, dyingdreamsv2, Nicky757, BloodyXan-Xan, bimbosarahsurfchick _(oh man, I wish I had the opposite problem. the plot bunnies seem to be coming back slowly though. :D And glad to hear I helped you!), _TheDeadlyColera, ScoobyDoobyDee, Naughty Cat _(is this sort of soon? And good luck on your exams!), _Cara2012, Eure _(I can understand you just fine! Thanks!), _demonic angel23_, _FishTVCo, (blank), xblackstaarx_, _tallshorty, Cloud Envy Shikamaru, dbz-trunks-zbd, CreatorofHavoc, Onba, _and _WinterD_.

Also, thanks to _ShanniC _for adding this story to her community!

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT.

Gohan may or may not be my favorite character...just a heads up.

* * *

_Learning Curve_

Normal five year olds don't have tails. That was something he realized much later than he should have, when he was three and was handed an anatomy book by his mother for some 'light reading'. Like every book he received, he groaned in slight exasperation and then realized that if he were reading, he didn't need to go 'adventuring' as his dad called it. Trekking through the unknown and scary forest used to terrify him, which some humans were also afraid of. And most humans did have a coccyx, vestigial remnants of their previous evolutionary stages. But that's it.

Humans didn't have tails, well at least when they weren't developing embryos. Yet neither his mom nor dad ever thought it strange that he had one. And being isolated in the middle of nowhere gave Gohan no cause for concern either. Well, not until that anatomy book. But he could have been one of those extremely rare cases where human babies are born with a short, stub like tail. Sure, his tail was pretty much the opposite of stub like, but there was no other explanation.

Not until Uncle Raditz came.

Normal five year olds don't have uncles that land in space pods. They don't have such control over ki. They can't fly or shoot blasts of energy or even come close to the fighting capabilities that he had. They didn't get abducted by aliens, finding out that they are half alien in the process. Most five year olds also didn't read books about anatomy or the history of the Planet Trade Organization either. It was safe to say that Son Gohan was not a normal five year old.

"What do we do now, Gohan? Frieza's right over there."

Not by a long shot.

Gohan gave the bald (_or maybe it's shaved?_) fighter a wide eyed look. Everyone was suddenly relying on _him_. Even Uncle Raditz, who was much older and much more experienced with men like Frieza, seemed to be at a loss. _I wish Mr. Piccolo were here_. But he didn't exactly understand where that thought came from. Gohan didn't really know Piccolo at all, but from the Namekians past action, he seemed to be the decisive type. When Piccolo had sensed Nail's fading ki and Frieza's leaving the area, he didn't hesitate at all to fly in that direction. There was so much certainty, so much bravery, and none of the 'evil demon king' presence that his mother insisted on.

But Son Gohan knew other lessons besides evolutionary biology. He knew that even though men appeared bad, like Vegeta or Uncle Raditz or Mr. Piccolo, that maybe they weren't actually bad after all. And he was pretty good at telling which guys were really bad guys and which were actually just misunderstood. Uncle Raditz, though initially very scary and kind of merciless, was just misunderstood. Frieza, on the other hand, was bad. Pure evil kind of bad. Gohan glanced downwards before looking at Krillin. He couldn't say he didn't know what to do. That would only induce more fear, and fear was the last thing they needed. They had enough of it already. Gohan did have somewhat of a plan anyway. He only hoped it would be enough to fool Frieza. "Just...f-follow my lead."

The alien was already approaching; an evil, yet satisfied ki, speeding towards them. Gohan shot Raditz a determined gaze. The half Saiyan wrapped his tail quickly around his waist and grabbed Krillin's hand, holding them by the wrist behind the human's back. "Go on your knees," Gohan whispered. "Hurry, please!"

Krillin looked confused for a quick second, but quickly recovered. He took his hands away from the child. "You should injure me first, Gohan."

"W-What?"

"It'll be more believable if you..." Krillin stumbled back, surprised by the contact of Raditz's fist to his face. "What the Hell, man!"

Raditz crossed his arms, "We don't have time for you to convince Gohan. I did you a favor."

Krillin grunted and wiped the blood from his nose. "Whatever."

"Would you like one too?" Raditz turned to Yamcha, who seemed less than eager.

The bandit scowled and just fell to the ground, "Just say I went quietly." Yamcha recoiled when Raditz touched him. "Better not do anything funny though."

"Trust Uncle Raditz, Yamcha." Gohan gave Krillin's face a hard look before returning to his captive position. Instead of grabbing Krillin's hands, Gohan simply made him go down to a kneeling position, aiming his open palm to his head. "Dende, you hide over there. Keep your ki low and then come out to bargain with us."

The young Namekian coughed, "Bargain?"

"Mhm. Frieza needs a Namekian to summon the dragon balls, right? Offer to do it for him if we spare their lives."

Raditz shook his head, "I'm not sure if that'll work, Gohan."

"We don't have time for another plan." Gohan sighed. This was bad. This plan was incredibly faulty, too risky. If Frieza knew that Vegeta was a traitor, their only hope was to convince Frieza that Gohan and Raditz turned on the Saiyan Prince. That in itself would be a hard act to sell. But they also had to ensure that Yamcha and Krillin wouldn't be killed, and the only way they could secure that was to make them leverage. Leverage for the only thing Frieza wanted. "We don't like Uncle Vegeta anymore. He's a bad man. He betrayed L-Lord Frieza." He had to sputter the words, but he made sure Raditz understood before taking his gaze away from his older relative's face.

Raditz gritted his teeth but nodded before pushing Yamcha flat on the ground with his foot. Gohan questioned the look on his Uncle's face. He was enjoying himself far too much. "Yes, Gohan." It was even harder for him to say the words. "Vegeta's a fool to think he could ever defeat Frieza with such a silly legend." The Saiyan stuck out his tongue, "That sounds absolutely vile."

The air around them suddenly turned still, freezing. A dark shadow of energy hovred around them. "What does, Raditz?"

"Lord Frieza!" Gohan shocked himself by how fast he bowed. The half-Saiyan quickly scanned the area around him, relieved to see that Dende had hidden like he had asked. "Thank Kam-err...I'm so glad you're here!"

"Worm." His cold presence was truly haunting. Gohan shivered as the alien landed, no longer in his transport. The overlord crossed his arms, purple nails tapping the padding on his forearm. "You have 5 seconds to explain why I shouldn't kill you." Red eyes immediately focused to the seal on Gohan's chest-the seal of Vegeta-sei. "Five."

"We had no idea...we-we didn't"

"Four."

Gohan sweated, "I never wanted t-...I don't even know what we're looking..."

"Three." Frieza raised his pointer finger, tip directed at Gohan's forehead.

"Stop it, Frieza." Raditz stepped forward, arms spread out and blocking Frieza from Gohan's view. His uncle turned to face him. "This isn't working. I'm not using my last moments of life pretending to be loyal to him."

Frieza smirked at the outburst, "Well now, Raditz. The truth finally comes out. Do tell what caused this sudden retaliation. Are you unhappy with your space pod? I allowed you to test the newer ones. You should be grateful." His tone was sarcastic, mocking. "Or was it your quarters on one of my planet's? All you had to do was come to _me_, Raditz. Why let that monkey prince of yours bully you around?"

"Because of just that." Raditz's voice rang confidence and determination. There was a sharp edge that almost felt empowering. Gohan lowered his hand away from Krillin, not believing in this charade anymore and allowing the bald fighter to stand. Yamcha followed. Both of their bodies were tense, gazes fixed as their muscles twitched from the terrifying ki in front of them.

Raditz's own ki was jolting up. It was fueled by anger, Gohan realized. He recognized it from his own battles with Raditz and Vegeta. The insults to his family and friends, the blinding flashes of rage that made his blood fume through him, ki ignited with outrageous power. Raditz was experiencing this rage. "Because he is my _prince._ He is the _Saiyan_ prince. The most powerful warriors in this universe. Stronger than you. Stronger than anyone the Cold family could ever produce. We are better than you _Lord_ Frieza. We will kill you. We will make you pay for the suffering you have inflicted to our planet. Destroying our homes, our families."

"Bardock, wasn't it?" Frieza only sounded thoughtful, completely unaffected by the words Raditz had just poured out.

The name made the Saiyan stutter. "W-what?"

"Your father. He tried this same speech as well. He was almost as stupid as you. Perhaps stupider. It's hard to judge, let alone compare the level of intelligence of monkeys."

"We're not exactly monkeys." Gohan couldn't keep his mouth shut. Raditz's own rage seemed to overflow to Gohan, and the half-Saiyan child found himself standing side by side with his uncle. Though his energy was charged up by anger, his voice was calm, scientific. "The Oozaru, thought to be our most powerful form, closely resembles an _ape_, which isn't a monkey. The only commonality between Saiyans and monkeys are our tails." He unwrapped his from his waist for show. "Though I don't even really understand the purpose of them to begin with. The Oozaru isn't our optimal power."

He grabbed Frieza's attention. Perfect. The alien's beady, red eyes grew slightly larger. "What do you mean about the Oozaru? That is the only way you were able to develop as your 'so called' alien race. Your kind is worthless without tails."

"You're forgetting about the Super Saiyan." It was Raditz who answered, a sharp smile on his face. "It's legend. It's the one thing that will be your downfall."

Frieza clenched his fist. "Shut up, Raditz. You're a fool to speak these words."

"You're just afraid of the truth, Frieza. Vegeta will kill you. He will become the Super Saiyan and..."

"QUIET!" Frieza raised his hand, finger fully extended. A small, red beam pierced the tip and tore through the left side of Raditz's chest. The Saiyan immediately collapsed down, blood sloshing from the wound, his heart permanently damaged. Frieza had a slight dissatisfied expression. "I hate people who repeat themselves. I told him to be quiet!"

Gohan had seen red before, but never when there wasn't a full moon. He never felt such complete absence of control outside of his Oozaru state, but right then, seeing his uncle flat on his back, blood staining his lips and chest, Gohan lost it. There was no thought process, just pure action. His ki flamed a bright yellow around his body, and within seconds, the top of his foot connected with Frieza's temple, pummeling the alien miles away from where he once stood.

Bloodthirsty, Gohan fed off of his anger, the intense pain of seeing the fallen body of his uncle lay mutilated on the ground. He was ready to once again approach Frieza, when a strong hand found his shoulder. "Don't get reckless. You'll get yourself killed."

The deep voice was only slightly familiar, and in Gohan's deep rage, he didn't want to obey. "He...he..."

"You have too much potential to be so careless." It was then Gohan saw that it was Piccolo in front of him...but no, not Piccolo. This Namekian was a little different, and a lot stronger than Piccolo ever was. The green fighter tossed his weighted clothes to the ground before looking back up to the slowly calming Gohan. "I fused with Nail. Do not be mistaken. I'm still Piccolo. The deal was to keep that personality dominant in exchange."

"...But what did Nail want?" Suddenly, Gohan realized he had been crying. The tears were almost dry already, but he could taste the saltiness on his cheeks.

"To kill Frieza. It seems to be a popular request." Piccolo's face was stern as he looked back to where Frieza landed. "Go back to the others. I can handle Frieza. You may want to check out those other power levels."

"What? Other power levels?" If he weren't a young child, Gohan would have probably cursed himself for being so clueless. He had been so distracted by Frieza's monstrous ki and monitoring his father and Uncle Vegeta that he hadn't realized that five _other_ powerful kis had suddenly appeared. "T-that's not good."

Piccolo didn't turn. "Get out of here, Gohan. Freiza will be dead soon."

"Let's go." It was Raditz talking now. Raditz-his Uncle Raditz who had just been dying moments ago.

Gohan was seriously confused until he saw Dende a little further behind the full Saiyan. "Alright, Mr. Piccolo." He bowed a little to both Namekians, "Thank you."

* * *

Something wasn't right. Multiple things actually. And Vegeta wasn't referring to all the past things that managed to get fucked up. Presently, there was enough shit going on that if he had been a weaker man, his head would spin. There was a sudden shift in ki, which he was finally able to notice because he wasn't busy sensing Nappa's. He was still relatively new to this ki sensing ability, but he had expected Kakarot to be a little bit better. He was the one to teach his brat the trick after all.

Why Kakarot failed to mention that five new kis were now detectable would be something Vegeta would never understand. "You're a complete moron, aren't you?"

"I'd like to think not." Goku scratched one of his black points, bangs falling across his face. "And I know you're usually this grumpy, but is there a reason you decided to say that, Vegeta?"

"Only because it's the truth. And that you failed to mention that the Ginyu force has landed here."

"The...what?"

"Never mind, Kakarot. But do you care to explain why the Namekian's power level has so greatly increased?" He didn't really need to worry about the Ginyu Force. Sure, Zarbon had caught him off guard, but Vegeta doubted that he could be outmatched by any of Frieza's soldiers, including the Ginyu Special Forces. They were a bunch of parading clowns, nothing more.

Goku looked puzzled. "Not exactly sure about that one either. I can't say I was really paying too close attention to the battle."

He felt that he would only become even more irritated by asking, but Vegeta had to know. "Then what, Kakarot, were you paying attention to?"

There was a strange look suddenly on Goku's face as the taller Saiyan wrung his hands together. "Well, uh, it's Bulma's ki."

The Saiyan Prince's heart dropped. Collapsed. Plummeted to the lower part of his diaphragm. "Excuse me?"

"Bulma...her ki is so hard to pick up, you know? Because of all the stronger kis, and so it's kind of hard to trace other ones, especially when hers..."

_Especially what? _ Sweat slid down Vegeta's forehead. He didn't understand this sudden panic, only that it was there and that it was related to Bulma. He needed to know if she was okay. He needed to know that there was a ki to detect. Vegeta tried to answer the question himself, but he couldn't sense her. She wasn't where they had left him. She wasn't safe.

The thought made Vegeta pounce on Goku. The shorter Saiyan flew up slightly, enabling himself to grab Goku by the collar and drag him up to his new height. "Where is she?" The words felt heavy, hard and slow. "Kakarot! Can you sense her? Tell me!"

"Calm down, Vegeta. She's alive." Goku pulled himself away, "But she's with two other power levels. I don't recog..."

Vegeta didn't wait for the full sentence before striking Goku in the cheek. "What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you really that moronic! Do you really have no inkling of how important she is! Of how much she..."

Vegeta stopped. He watched as Goku's expression changed quickly from shocked pain to some sort of happy grin. A grin. After all the things to have on his face, Goku was just smiling at him. It only pissed off Vegeta more. "Stop that."

"What?"

"Looking at me like you know what I'm thinking. It's deplorable. I should punch you again." He squirmed as he stood, biting back the urge to ask Goku again where Bulma was. Not wanting to yield to relying on _Kakarot_ to supply him with information, Vegeta quickly flew up and over where they had left Bulma. Her ki wasn't present at all, and the Saiyan prince had to stop himself from blasting the cave right then and there. _...where is she?_

Unwanted memories flashed through his mind. Bulma's promises. Bulma's reassurance. She wasn't going to leave him. She promised she'd never leave without him.

"_I'll be right here when you return, Vegeta"_

...

"_You can trust me on that."_

He had trusted her. Hell, he trusted her now for reasons he wasn't quite sure of. For once, it wasn't Bulma's trust and Bulma's promises that had him furious. It was the fact that he couldn't keep his.

"...Where is she?" His voice was low as he felt Goku land behind him. The Saiyan prince walked slowly through the cave, allowing the third class to follow. The door was open, the place looking untouched, not ransacked or anything, though he was sure Bulma had struggled. She wasn't one to give up easily at all. The silence bothered him. "Where the fuck is she!" The yellow light brightened the room into flames. "She was right here!"

"Vegeta!"

Another ki blast. Something else on fire. Vegeta ignored Goku's shouts and struggled when the taller Saiyan wrapped his arms around the prince's torso and dragged him out of the smoking Capsule House.

"Are you crazy?" Goku pulled at his hair. "Why are you doing this?"

Vegeta's face was red, his ki a bright yellow. He saw Goku twitch back at the flaring energy, but the taller Saiyan didn't back down completely. Goku 's face turned dark. "Sense her, Vegeta. Calm down and you'll be able to sense her."

It was hard reigning in that energy, but Vegeta swiftly settled himself done until he was able to spot Bulma's ki. "What are you waiting for, Kakarot?"

Goku just smiled and followed Vegeta to the air. Both Saiyans were zooming, cutting through the air and probably risking detection by Frieza or one of the members of the Ginyu Force.

But that was exactly what Vegeta wanted. He dared anyone try to stop him now. He wanted someone to test him, to try and stand in his way for one second. The Saiyan smirked. They wouldn't even last a second. He would demolish them, pulverize them into bits.

"I sense six kis, Vegeta."

The Saiyan Prince nodded. He did too. One was Bulma's, frantically flashing in fear. The other five were of no significance to him. They would be dead soon.

* * *

Princes on white horses were nothing but fairy tales. Unwarranted fantasies that mothers tell their daughters in order to induce an excited state and then, eventually, a tired one. They were meant as bedtime stories and nothing more, and even though Bulma knew all of this, it never stopped her from wishing for her own prince, her own perfect boyfriend ever since she was a child.

Now more than ever was she wishing for him. Not some prince on a white horse, or any kind of vehicle. That would be too slow. _Her_ prince didn't need those things. _Her_ prince wasn't some white knight, some chivalrous do-gooder. And honestly, she liked it that way. Bad boys were exactly her type.

She wanted Vegeta here more than ever. Jeice and Burter had set her next to a large rock, leaving her on the blue grass of Namek as they talked to their companions, who all seemed to be super powered aliens. _Like I expect anything less._ She rolled her eyes at the thought, but even her somewhat lackadaisical attitude couldn't mask the intense fear welling inside of her. Frieza wasn't here. For that, she was grateful for. But for how long?

They hadn't bothered tying her up; they knew she wasn't fast enough to escape. But that didn't stop her mind from turning. She watched them carefully, thinking of any possible way she could make a run for it without getting killed.

There was nothing but open plain and some narrow trees. Nothing to hide her if she somehow managed to get yards away undetected. And they had scouters anyway, she realized. They only needed to sense-

_Goku and Vegeta can sense too. They all can. _ She had no control over her ki, but from being around fighters her whole life, she knew the basic idea of how it worked. Bulma turned to the rock behind her and stood up. Jeice immediately turned around from the conversation he was having with the others and asked, "What, girl, are ya doing?"

"Nothing." She cracked her fingers before giving the rock a light push. It wasdouble her size, big and unmovable-the perfect thing to test her strength on. "Nothing at all."

Bulma hadn't bothered to learn the other member's names. The purple guy with horns seemed to be in charge of them all, spouting orders and trying to contact Frieza with his scouter. The purple alien spoke, disgruntled. "Lord Frieza's scouter seems to be nonoperational. Jeice, leave the Earth woman alone and get the extra scouters out of the pods."

Jeice scowled and moved away from Bulma to the space pods nearby. Now was her chance. She steadied herself in the dirt and pushed on the rock, trying to harness all the energy she had in her body. She had never really worked out before; her little runs on the treadmill were nothing compared to the training her friends did. But it was all she could do. And there was no way she was just going to sit here and wait.

Sweat rolled down her forehead in salty streams. It stung her eyes a bit, but she continued, getting strange looks from the five aliens huddled yards away from her. "I don't like what she's doing, Cap'n."

"Relax, Jeice." This was the orange head one that looked the most human. If humans were double their normal size. "What can the puny thing do? She's just wearing herself out for us!"

"I should kill her right now." It was the four eyed alien, the green one. Glue or Gurd or something. "Vegeta and I have quite the history. What I wouldn't give to kill his..."

"No, Guldo. We are bringing her to Lord Frieza." The purple captain crossed his arms sternly. "That is after we also find the dragon balls for him."

She sighed a bit and kept pushing. That was one thing they'd never get anytime soon. Her hands started to blister as they pushed and pushed on the solid rock surface. It wasn't budging an inch, but that wasn't what she wanted to do. Bulma moved around to the other side of the boulder, no longer able to see the group of Frieza's soldiers. _Just a little more, just get your energy up. They'll sense you. They'll find y-_

A rough hand wrapped around her mouth, suppressing the scream that was sure to be released. She could feel herself fidget wildly at the sudden contact. He was currently dragging her quickly away, ignoring the kicks she sent flying backward.

Bulma didn't find it in her heart to scream. Who would hear her? Was she asking for Jeice and crew to come save her? No. She needed to get herself out of this alone, and she tried. Bulma raised her hand, trying to whack the grabber with a tight fist, but the man behind her quickly grabbed her wrist and spun her around. Her mouth widened to a large smile, "...Goku."

Relief fanned throughout her body, and Bulma immediately calmed down. She hugged her long time best friend, keeping her head in the crook of his neck, relaxing in the safety of his muscular frame. Bulma knew she would be rescued; she's always been. But that didn't stop her from being afraid and then incredibly relieved. The tall fighter gave her a tight hug back and then stepped away.

Her blue hair whipped back when Vegeta stepped up to her, his chest heavy with anxiety and an almost scared look in his eyes. Bulma's broad smile fell into a weak sigh seeing him like that. She could tell that he was worried, more than worried, and she didn't want to put him through any pain, not again. "I'm okay. I didn't leave you."

They were still yards apart, Goku standing off to the side and looking in the distance. She knew he was probably tracking the aliens he had just took her from.

Vegeta ignored her, "Kakarot, how did you..."

"They weren't using those scouter things so I just took her." Goku narrowed his eyes over the horizons. "But it shouldn't be long before they start looking for her. I'm lucky that I was fast enough none of them saw me. Smart of you to move away from them too, Bulma."

She didn't really hear what Goku was saying, weird since she was never one to usually ignore a compliment. Bulma was too focused on Vegeta. Worried Vegeta. Not jealous Vegeta or furious Vegeta or even satisfied Vegeta. This Vegeta concerned her more than anything. She closed the distance between them, expecting her Saiyan prince to inch back, but he didn't. "Why didn't you come?"

Goku was the one who answered. "I wouldn't let him. He was too unstable. If he blew up, it'd be potentially dangerous for you."

"Shut up, Kakarot," Vegeta snapped. "I am not some child. I have control over my power." Though he was talking to Goku, Vegeta was looking at her, black eyes tracing her body for any injuries. "I wouldn't hurt her."

Bulma grabbed his hand, feeling his warmth immediately. Vegeta began to move back, but Bulma didn't let him, pulling him sharply into a hug. She let herself tangle through the bottom end of his dark hair. Coarse, thick, it was perfect between her fingers. Her hands moved past his neck and wrapped around the upper part of his back. Vegeta was stolid, unmoving, and Bulma pouted at his unresponsiveness. "Won't you give me a kiss, Vegeta? We only have a few minutes."

He growled. "Crude woman."

She giggled, seeing a faint ring of red over his cheekbones. The Saiyan prince was _blushing_. "What? You nervous?" Bulma was only met by another growl. She laughed outright when she noticed he glanced briefly to Goku. "Are you _shy_ in front of Goku, Vegeta?"

Goku laughed a little to the side and placed his hands behind his head. "Don't let me stop you! I'll just be over here..."

"Be quiet, Kakarot. And Woman..." He grabbed her hands from behind his head and caught them in his own, letting their fingers mesh. Vegeta held her tightly, but not enough to hurt her. That's what he always did. He showed her how strong he was, reminding her that he was powerful, that he was strong enough to protect her but had enough restraint to never hurt her. "I will deal with you when I kill the others."

"Poetic, but really..." Bulma bit her lip. There was a sudden emptiness inside her. She saw his worry quickly vanish. Worried Vegeta became the much more familiar vengeful Vegeta. And she wondered if that would eventually lead to him being dead. "What if we never get a chance like this?"

Vegeta grunted. "Chance like _what_? With Kakarot breathing down our..."

"Alive, Vegeta." She allowed her voice to be stern. "What if you end up not...alive?"

The Saiyan prince let go of her suddenly but kept the distance. He turned his head immediately to Goku. "Watch her while I take out the trash. I'll send some weakling your way if you wish to fight."

"Can you handle them on your own, Vegeta?" Goku asked.

He scoffed. "Fine, Kakarot. I'll send you two. Bring her when you're done if you wish."

Goku nodded, but Bulma wasn't too happy. "Why can't you take me?"

"You are a distraction." Vegeta turned back to her. "I won't be able to concentrate."

"But...if you... you better not..."

The interruption of his warm lips nearly knocked her to the ground. The impact was so sudden but at the same time, completely welcomed. He grabbed her near her shoulder blades and moved their bodies together, creating friction and energy. _This _was what she wanted. No white knights. No horses. She wanted her prince. He was rough around the edges, yes, but he was hers completely. And it wasn't even the more primal need for him, though that was, admittedly, a part of it. His warmth was consuming. His energy, addicting. She needed him, more than her independent nature would ever allow herself to admit. She needed his unnerving confidence, his unflinching ability to stand up to her, his passion, his fire.

He fulfilled her, and she...she loved him for it.

* * *

A/N:

Things will start picking up again. I promise! And I mean in both plot and my updating. It sincerely sucked that I couldn't update while I was on vacay, but I hope this update compensates a little.

We're also nearing the confrontation with Frieza...ah! Scary stuff. (almost as scary as this new fanfiction formatting...)

Thanks everyone for reading! And if you have questions, comments, or concerns, drop me a review or send a PM! I love hearing from you! Thanks!


	17. Latent Power

A/N:

Hi all! Finally back in the swing of things, and it feels awesome! Thanks to all my loyal reviewers that are dealing with my schedule shifts and summer adjustment issues. You'd think with a month of summer already gone, I'd have a better schedule, but I digress.

Special-extra-super thanks to:

_BountyHuntress16, The Crystal Rose, dyingdreamsv2, ScoobyDoobyDee, merlincrazy, Feares Solen_ (i'm happy to see you're still reading, and thanks for the review!), _KayuraK _(hope you can read this on your phone :D), _jdboss1 _(this one has more fights!), _taity _(to answer your SSJ question...maybe.), _CreatorOfHavoc_, _MK08 _(thanks! and you'll see!), _elleelle, ZombieChick422, Naughty Cat _(hope you did well on your English final!), _The Azu Soul Lilly, anny, LunarJade _(wow thanks so much :D that takes commitement. I'm flattrered!), _6teenana1, bimbosarahsurfchick _(Bermuda! Not Hawaii D: and the layout isn't so awful...except the scrolling down gets on my nerves whenever I want to look at my stats...), _PerfectLover, omgover9000_ (thanks for the multiple reviews and for _This Time Around_ Review too!), _CloudEnvyShikamaru, Trixie-chan, piscesgirl35 _(All your questions will be answered! :D and I don't! I swear! I hate waiting for fanfics to update!), _betty69blue, Eure, Many Voices in My Head_ (Strike? Eep. I hope that doesn't last long! and we shall see what happens to dear Raditz), _BloodyXan-Xan _( hehe glad you liked Gohan's part :D), _Death101-Fox Version, BLACKONYX, freakin amazing _(for chapter 15! He's pretty badass), _Laania _(sorry for making you cry with _Make A Wish! _Oof...I remember that backlash.), _Cara2012 _(no problem, and they really are T_T)_, _and _BlueHairedSaiyan_.

It's great to see all the new reviewers too! All of you guys are absolutely amazing :)

Forewarning: There's a lack of Vegeta in this one.

Also, I made a very bad error in the last chapter, miscounting Guldo's eyes. Whoops. This has been corrected.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

_Latent Power_

She really did, didn't she?

She loved him.

It was an easy thought. It just appeared in her mind, and now that it was there, she couldn't get rid of the idea. She loved him. She loved Vegeta. She may or may not have fallen in love with him years ago for all she knew. Or maybe she always had. Well ...not always, but since she was sixteen.

Bulma unconsciously shook her head, still staring at the Saiyan prince in front of her. His dark hair flitted gently in the Namekian breeze, shoulders hunched, body ready to snap at any second in case someone approached. No, she hadn't loved him then. She would have done anything in her power to save him if she had loved him. She would have bit Goku's head off for wishing her back and not have touched Yamcha. That was just a school girl crush, a hollow shade of what she was feeling now. Mature love. Understanding love. She knew him, completely, and that's why she loved him.

Goku touched her shoulder when Vegeta turned to leave. The Saiyan prince didn't run (or fly) off like last time, and Bulma hesitated on whether she should tell him. _He said I was a distraction. Talk about giving him the biggest distraction ever with that bombshell. _Yet at the same time she couldn't help but wonder what if he never came back? She would have never told him.

_Stop being so melodramatic. Or have you forgotten about the dragon balls?_

Yes, there was always that. Bulma's mind assuaged any further thought. Vegeta, if dead, wouldn't remain dead for ever, not if she had any say. And since when was she so negative to believe that he would die anyway? Bulma crossed her arms, blue eyes staring Vegeta down even though he wasn't facing her. "You better come back."

He grunted and let his head fall down. "Yes, Bulma." Vegeta turned and gave a silent salute with two fingers before flying off and leaving her with Goku.

The blue haired woman turned to her friend and let out a deep sigh. She was distracted by the sudden epiphany of emotions, by the prince's apparent, yet minimal, warmness towards her. Those things could be analyzed later. Those thoughts were better left for peaceful places, not here. "Well, now what?"

"Wait until he sends the fighters over. Maybe you better lay low. If he sends two over, one may try to use you as leverage."

"Fine, but after you kill the first guy, I'm coming out."

Goku's small smile immediately faded. "Bulma... I don't kill people."

"These aren't _people_, Goku. They're monsters." She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was Goku really going to sacrifice their safety because he felt guilty about killing someone? "They are nothing but..."

Goku shook his head, "Vegeta was just like them once, and look at him now. Didn't they have the same situation?"

"But they're not the same person. Vegeta is..." She didn't know how to explain it. Perhaps there was a point when Vegeta was just as bad as those men, but not anymore. He always hated Frieza, always had that hint of rebellion in him.

The tall Saiyan shrugged, ignoring her hesitations and slight stuttering. "Quick question, Bulma. I should have asked Vegeta this, but maybe you know."

There was a rarely a question she didn't know the answer to so Bulma nodded. "Yeah, sure. Ask away, Goku."

"It's just... Did he ever tell you what a Super Saiyan looked like?"

"Huh?" _What does he mean by that? _ She hadn't really thought about it, mostly because she only viewed the Super Saiyan as some exceptionally powerful _wish_ and that's all. It was a means to an end, the end being Frieza's death. But now that Goku mentioned it, what _was_ the Super Saiyan? Was it something like the Oozaru? Because that was something she didn't want to see.

_What if it's worse? _ _What if he doesn't have any control over it_? She let the question remain in the recesses of her mind. There was no need to bring about more concerns, and vocalizing them just made them seem more real. "What made you think of that, Goku?"

"So you don't know. Hmm..." Goku stretched a bit, warming up for the inevitable fight minutes away. "I know I was the monster that killed my grandfather. You knew about that, didn't you?"

She fiddled with her hands. Bulma had always felt bad for Goku about that. That man had been the only person in Goku's life for over a decade, and then to find out that Goku was the one responsible for his death? The Saiyan was taking it much better than she ever would. "Yes."

"I had no control...I don't even remember changing."

"You think the Super Saiyan is like that?"

Goku paused for a second, "No...no, I don't."

"Then why did you..."

Goku's black eyes veered off into the sky. He was tracing kis, no doubt. "I think I've seen it."

She felt immediate shock and relief at the same time. Goku had achieved the Super Saiyan? It was wonderful and horrible. Now they may have a chance against Frieza. They could survive and go back to Earth perhaps unscathed. Though she knew Vegeta wouldn't be happy about that. She couldn't imagine his anger, his obsessive need to surpass the man who stole that from him. _That wouldn't be healthy. _ "Goku, have you..."

"Shh, Bulma." Goku raised an arm, holding it over her stomach. "Go hide. Two kis are coming."

"And where, genius, do you expect me to hide on this barren wasteland?" Bulma hid her fear with annoyance. It was true. The surrounding area was pretty much lollipop shaped trees and rocks that were too far away to run to.

Goku glanced around as well. It was amazing the transformation Goku would go through when a battle approached. The once goofy, childlike man would stiffen, muscles tensing and happy smile turning into an excited smirk. There was something about Saiyans and fighting, some kind of rush that Bulma didn't really get. The only thing she could equate it to was maybe the passion and obsession she felt when she was inventing. Goku grabbed her hand, "I'll hide you."

Her stomach heaved a bit with Goku's sudden speed. He was heading towards a plateau, one close but still far enough that she could have never made it there on her own. The Saiyan released her arm and watched her sit down. Bulma huffed at his hovering. "I'm fine, Goku."

"You sure? Last time we left you alone, you sort of got kidnapped."

"I'm _fine."_

"And if that happens again, I'm pretty sure Vegeta would kill me. Though that probably would be a good figh..."

"Goku!" Bulma rolled her eyes. He was incorrigible. "I'll scream my lungs out if some super freaky alien comes near me. Go fight some bad guys now. Okay?"

He gave her a soft smile and flew off. Son Goku didn't need to be told twice to fight.

* * *

There was nothing but dust moving amongst them. Both their bodies were completely frozen, one looking incredibly calmer than the other as they sized each other up. Eyes unflinching, Piccolo thought back to his training and how grateful for once that he had been tied to Kami. He wasn't too fond of the deity, even though technically they were the same person, but Kami's influence had allowed Piccolo to keep his body in the afterlife. King Yemma had even granted him permission to go through Snake Way and not Hell. Apparently sacrificing yourself when protecting the son of a man you once wanted to kill has its advantages as well.

His training under King Kai mostly composed of meditation. He refused to do such foolish training methods the god first suggested, but what King Kai lacked in convention he made up for in knowledge. There was something called the Genki Dama, or Spirit bomb, that the blue idol said Piccolo was incapable of learning because of his 'impure heart'. But he did tell him all about Frieza and how he shouldn't fight him. Demon kings really don't take well to orders.

And besides, how else was he supposed to test out the Kaioken?

He expected that would be enough to fight Frieza currently. Piccolo couldn't really see what all the hype was about. He didn't need Nail's fusion, though that certainly heightened his power immensely. He would be done with Frieza in a few minutes.

"You're different than the other Namekian." Frieza curled his lips. "Tell me. Will you be just as easy to kill?"

"Idiot. You didn't kill him. He is a part of me now, and we will both kill you."

Frieza frowned. "So you slugs can merge bodies? Interesting." The tyrant moved into a fighter's stance, hands raised and legs spread apart. "Well, at least it allows me to kill you both at the same time. How efficient."

In an instant, Frieza flashed forward, body no more than just a blur. Piccolo traced him easily and raised a punch just in time to snap Frieza in the face. The long tailed alien flew backwards, shoulders and legs buried in the dirt from the sheer force. The Namekian grunted and crossed his arms. He didn't even have to remove his weighted clothing. "You're too cocky. Having henchman do your dirty work has made you soft."

It didn't take long for Frieza to stand up again. He brushed off his armor, distaste but not anger in his red eyes. "You're better than I thought. Allow me to give you an appropriate challenge."

Piccolo raised his arms, expecting a ki attack. "Please do."

But to his surprise, Frieza did not release any sort of offensive attack. The air suddenly funneled around the small alien. Burning flame of energy flashed brightly and Frieza's ki skyrocketed. When the dust cleared, Piccolo jerked back in confusion. _This_ was not Frieza.

He was much taller, bigger, and overall more powerful. The overlord no longer wore armor, revealing an even whiter and purple appearance. His horns curved upwards, sharp enough to gouge through a person's chest with ease. Cold purple lips looked bloodied, like sniveling dried up worms. "Surprised, aren't you? You see, I purposely put my body into a lower energy state. It seems less terrifying."

Piccolo tossed off his helmet and cloak and his body eased with more energy. Frieza's ability to transform into a different state was a surprise, but it was still manageable, especially with the Kaioken. He snorted, "This is nothing."

"Oh good." Frieza vanished and reappeared inches from the Namekian's face. The evil, merciless soul of the tyrant could be seen throughout the alien's body. He reeked of pure malice. His voice lowered, the red eyes from the monster's body shown blood red. "Because I still have two more left to show you."

A knee suddenly collided with Piccolo's abdomen, and Frieza shook the Namekian's cowering figure with a backhanded punch that rocketed the green alien backwards. Piccolo quickly recovered, hurt but not broken. Feet etched into the ground, he used the solid surface as a jumping off point, springing towards the alien with full speed. Piccolo didn't want to waste any time. "Kaioken!"

The words threw the white and purple alien off a little, but Piccolo left no time to ponder the technique. A red flare ignited around his body right before Piccolo swiped Frieza in the face. He carefully snap vanished behind the alien and spiked him down to the ground, creating craters with Frieza's battered form.

Piccolo panted as the Kaioken effects wore off. The technique was hard to control and did take a toll on his body. But the Namekian needed speed. He needed to kill this demon quickly. Frieza did not become the most powerful being in the universe without knowing how to fight. Better to cut him down as soon as possible than to be careful. _This fight is over_. He raised two fingers to his forehead, charging an attack he had created over a year ago. There was enough time. Piccolo kept his mind focused on the cannon, channeling pools of ki into his sparking two fingers. Even after charging for about a minute, the alien was still unconscious on the ground. _I'll have time to complete this before..._

"Now, now."

Piccolo dropped his slightly charged fingers and spun around to face Frieza. "How...how did you..."

"Who's underestimating who now?" He had changed again. Face long, hideous. A monster out of some forgotten, locked away nightmare.

_Damn it. How could I let him transform again? I was concentrating too hard on this fucking attack!_

Frieza grabbed both of the Namekian's hands. "We can't allow any energy blasts, can we?"

In a sickening, wet rip, both of Piccolo's arms were torn from his shoulder, joints popping and breaking as purple blood sprayed everywhere. His muscles ached and died from the severance. Bone shattered. Tissue completely dead. Frieza dropped the body parts carelessly as Piccolo screamed in agony, utter pain. "You're an easy kill now, aren't you?"

His mind was blurry, going dark. Piccolo was losing too much blood too fast, but he had enough ki to regenerate still. He just didn't have enough time.

Frieza kicked him in the stomach again, causing his body to roll flat on his back. The now long headed alien moved Piccolo's head with his cold hand, terrified eyes looking upwards. "I want you to see this." Frieza stepped back. "I want you to see fear itself."

* * *

"That's my dad's ki." Gohan smiled before picking up speed. Clouds whirled passed them as he and his fellow fighters arched through the sky. "Uncle Raditz, come on!"

Krillin wiped his head next to said uncle, "Gee, what kind of training did you guys do? No way was I that powerful when I was 5."

"My nephew has incredible potential. Especially when you consider his upbringing." Raditz wiggled his nose as a piece of black hair flurried in front. Sometimes he really questioned the Saiyan culture of retaining the hair you were born with. This wasn't exactly too conducive for fighting.

"Goku's not a pushover, Raditz." Krillin didn't really like arguing with the Saiyan; he seemed kind of volatile. But he needed to defend his best friend. "He always finds a way to beat an enemy. Always."

Raditz shrugged, "My brother lacks the more common of Saiyan sensibilities. But Gohan taught us how to read power levels. It's easy to sense he's hiding something incredible."

"You think he could be the Super Saiyan?" Krillin asked.

"I don't know. But I'm really starting to believe it's possible."

Gohan suddenly slowed, realizing the speed he was going. The young half Saiyan floated backwards. "Sorry, Dende." He approached the small Namekian. "Was I going to fast?"

"I'll be fine." Dende huffed a bit before stopping as well. "Your father is close, isn't he?"

"Right over there." Gohan pointed practically directly downwards. Two other powerful kis were also there, but none were really close to his dad's actual power level.

Yamcha wasn't looking in that direction however. "Bulma's there all by herself."

"Go there, Yamcha. And maybe you should go too, Dende. The three of us will be enough to help Goku." Krillin suggested. The short warrior waved Gohan and Raditz closer. "Come on."

They separated quickly, Gohan taking the lead towards his father. He knew a fight was ready to burst out. The air was electric, filled with billowing ki. His father was slowly creating more and more power reserves. Gohan felt this sudden itch in his body. It was that excitement for a fight, the readiness of unleashing all of the energy within you and letting ki pulse through the pores of your skin. And as the young half Saiyan landed behind his father, he could tell Goku had the same urge. A Saiyan itch that needed to be scratched.

"Gohan, stay back."

The boy didn't listen to his father's warning. He wanted to see the enemy. Saiyan instincts kicking in, Gohan wrapped his tail tightly around his armor and gave the two unrecognizable warriors a once over. They didn't seem like much, especially the small green one with four eyes. The one that was currently squaring off with his father was big and bulky, funny orange hair crowning his head. The smaller one met Gohan's eyes and snarled. "Look at what the kid's wearing."

"...What is it Guldo?" The orange headed one peered over to look behind Goku.

"It's _Vegeta's _ armor. You must be one of his Saiyan traitors." Guldo crossed his arms, "Am I right, Raditz?"

Raditz stayed back with Krillin, not physically responding to the taunt. "I'd keep your mouth shut, Guldo. Save your energy because you're about to need all of it."

"Hehe! All of the monkeys want to play! Too bad Ginyu is taking on Vegeta! We could have had a monkey party!" The orange haired one cracked a grin. "Let's go, Saiyan man!" He gestured to Goku. "Show me what you got."

Goku shot his friend and son one more warning glance before turning to his brother. "I think you better go check on Vegeta. He may need your help."

Raditz grunted in distaste. "Vegeta will be fine without any of us."

"Suit yourself. Gohan, Krillin, is Yamcha alright?"

"He's fine." Krillin scratched his head, eyeing both members of the Ginyu Force with extensive trepidation. "Though I can't say the same for us..."

Gohan shook his head, "I've got that one, Krillin. My dad should be fine too."

He wouldn't have done this a year ago. Even though he was only five, he was ready to fight, unafraid and only anxious with anticipation. Gohan would blame his Saiyan blood for this, but that wasn't completely true. He had Saiyan blood in him from the start yet he had still been a scared, cowering child. No, it must have been Vegeta and Raditz. Their training had been intense, their passion unwavering. He understood that he wasn't fighting for 'fun', though his Saiyan side certainly did enjoy it. He was fighting for others, and _that_ was what made his blood ignite.

So when Krillin gave the young boy a hesitant glance, Gohan could only smile. This was a chance to prove that he was his father's son.

"Alright, boy. Don't say I didn't warn you." Guldo took a ready stance. He opened his mouth, preparing to spout some kind of spell or move or something, but Gohan was too quick. The half Saiyan bolted forward and mashed his elbow in the alien's face, halting any further attack.

"Vegeta told me about you. You're the one that stops time." Gohan felt hesitant at the realization. Both Krillin and Goku's eyes widened in interest, but Gohan did his best to remain calm. He never fought someone who could _literally_ stop him so the best course of action would be to finish him quickly.

Gohan sent a flurry of punches into the alien's stomach, never ceasing until he set up a roundhouse kick. The blow snapped across Guldo's small frame, and he screamed in pain before falling flat on his stomach. Gohan lightly hovered over. "I'll give you a chance to go back to where you came from. You're free. You don't have to listen to Frieza or Ginyu or everyone."

His uncle growled. "Finish him Gohan! Don't give him a chance to..."

"Guldo! Get up!" The taller one shouted before turning back to Goku. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Goku's eyes were dark, serious. He only heard the surpised gasp of the Ginyu Squad member before the Saiyan sent his elbow through his ribcage. Recoome gurgled from the loss of oxygen before collapsing in the dust. "Phew." Goku wiped the slight sweat on his brow before violently turning around. "Gohan, watch out!"

"Huh? AH!" The young half Saiyan couldn't move. His muscles were frozen, limbs stuck in the awkard postion of a mid step. He couldn't shoot ki or even blink. His dark eyes started to burn from the dry Namekian air. "...D-Daddy!"

"Gohan!" Goku shot forward to the green, short alien. His arm formed a straight knifehand strike, sweeping across the alien's body, cutting his four eyed head clear off. Sensing what he had just done, Goku immediately tried to calm his infuriated nerves. There was a slight yellow aura around him, fueled by his rage, of his son's pain. But it didn't last long. Goku cut off that emotion, opting instead for regret. "I...I didn't mean to..."

"Good job, Kakarot." Raditz's hand was on his brother shoulder. It soon was placed on his head, scruffing his pointed black hair with pride. "That's some younger brother I got. You were great! Amazing. For a second there your ki was incredible."

Goku cast his head downwards before giving a weak smile to his brother. That was two people he killed since his arrival. But this one...this one had been a complete accident. He had only meant to knock the alien back to interrupt his attack, not to cut off his head. Goku wasn't even using that much of his strength. _That_ was a first. He was normally in complete control of his power. "My..aura was yellow."

"Yeah strange, right?"

"Did anything else change, Raditz?"

"No...except for your power level. It was really high."

Goku couldn't believe it. "Krillin?"

The former monk shook his head in disbelief. "...I...I barely recognized you for a second there, Goku."

That wasn't good. Maybe there was some merit to what Bulma was saying about the Super Saiyan. He could feel it. That legendary amount of power was in his reach, but was it controllable? Would he kill all of his loved ones again? "Gohan, are you alright?"

The little boy scratched his head before nodding. "I...I still have a lot to learn, don't I?"

"Don't ever let your guard down again." Raditz walked over and gave his nephew a pat on the head. "But other than that, you did well."

"Dad?"

Goku nodded. His son's power seemed limitless. Sure he was inexperienced but there was something there, some latent power that was way more than Goku could ever dream of achieving...not that he wouldn't try. "You were, Gohan. Mom would be proud of you."

"Um, guys?" Krillin was by the still surviving, though unconscious, Ginyu member's body. He cautiously kicked the fallen before gulping, "What do we do about him?"

Raditz held up his right hand, igniting a large ball of pink ki. "Move."

Krillin scurried away before the Saiyan let loose the blast, killing the next member of the Ginyu Force. Goku grabbed his brother's arm. "That was completely unnecessary."

"Would you rather he get up to attack? It's necessary Kakarot. I...I understand your reluctance. You were raised much differently than I was. When you're a member of the Planet Trade Organization, you learn to take precautions and opportunities whenever they present themselves to you." Raditz crossed his arms and sighed. He looked exhausted mentally. "Please tell me, Kakarot, that you will kill Frieza if you can. If...that power was what I think it was, do not give him the opportunity to escape. He will find us. He will find your world and destroy it."

Goku was hesitant to reply, but he kept his face strong. He hated killing people. It left him cold, but, more than anything, there was something deep within the forgotten parts of his body that seemed to enjoy it. That terrified him. _I'm Son Goku_. Goku held out his hand and let Raditz shake it, signaling his promise. _And I am not a monster._

* * *

She had never been so happy to see Yamcha in her life. Bulma hadn't been abandoned long, if hiding in safety could even be construed as abandonment, but he did distract her mind. She needed to stop thinking of this prince. It was actually quite pathetic when she thought about it pragmatically. Bulma was a beautiful, smart, heiress. And what was he? Just some super powerful prince who she was in love with.

Okay, so maybe it was fair to be a little distracted.

But Yamcha managed to preoccupy her with updates about the others and how the battle was going about a mile away. The Namekian, Dende, was silent in the corner. Bulma half wondered if he had seen some of his family die. _That can't be easy. _Yamcha , however, sounded hopeful. "I think we can actually do this, Bulma. We might make it back to Earth fine."

"Yeah...we will." Bulma sighed. It felt like she had been on Namek for years. She couldn't wait to get back to Capsule Corp and see her parents. She wanted to get back to her lab, smoke some cigarettes, and go out partying, _living_. This had been a few steps too close to a nightmare. "My parents will be upset about us."

"They'll understand." Yamcha sat cross-legged across from her. The bandit grabbed her hand. "Mayeb I should have married you years ago."

Bulma couldn't help but blush. Though she only wanted Vegeta, she couldn't help but be flattered. The actual prospect of marriage, however, somewhat terrified her. "I don't think I'm the marrying type, Yamcha."

"That's what I kept telling myself about you. And neither am I, to be honest. But I think you're lying to yourself, Bulma."

She had always been independent. Bulma was handed a silver spoon, but at sixteen, she tossed her luxuries of home for an adventure. When she finished college, she worked her ass off in her laboratory to make sure no one thought she had any 'special treatment'. Bulma hated thinking that she _needed_ anyone's help or anyone. That was why her relationship with Yamcha had been so volatile. And maybe, if she was being honest with herself, that explained why Yamcha had been sort of loose in the past. What person wanted to be with someone who didn't need them?

She needed Vegeta. She loved him. And Hell, she always needed somebody. Just the right somebody. Why would she wish for a boyfriend if she didn't need someone to care about, to look after? But could she really marry him? _Does he even know what that is?_ Bulma sighed and avoided the conversation further. _Let's deal with that when we actually get off this planet._

Yamcha suddenly stood up, arms stark at his sides. He shot Bulma a wary look, and the heiress grabbed Dende's hand and crouched behind another rock. But she immediately got up, seeing who landed. "Vegeta!"

He didn't look hurt at all, even though he must have fought three of Frieza's top henchmen. Sure, his uniform was a little dusty, and he looked a little strange, but other than that it was Vegeta.

Yamcha was still tense. He grabbed Bulma's hand to stop her. "What's your problem, Yamcha?" She tugged hard at her ex-boyfriend, but he was recalcitrant. "Yamcha! Are you listening?"

"Bulma, this isn't right." The bandit's eyes didn't leave the Saiyan in front of them.

Vegeta just looked on, not speaking, a small smirk on his tanned face. He started walking forward, and Yamcha inched back and blocked Bulma's body from the prince. Bulma huffed, "Stop being jealous, Yamcha. I thought we were..."

The Saiyan laughed a bit and held up a gloved hand. "That's right, Yamcha. Let the lady go with me."

Bulma's blood ran cold at his words. Vegeta hadn't called Yamcha a scar-faced idiot or weakling. He hadn't scoffed in disgust over their contact, and he had called her _lady_? What the hell? Her blue eyes cracked at the realization.

This wasn't Vegeta.

* * *

A/N:

Thanks for reading everyone! Questions, Comments, or Concerns? Drop a review or PM :)


	18. Shattered

A/N:

hi guys! I realized that I was a horrible author for multiple reasons. One was that I never, ever thanked all of you reviewers for helping me reach 600 _and_ 700 reviews. That's just crazy. I've never had anywhere close to 700 reviews...and just seeing my story near 4 digits is absolutely mind blowing. Thank you all for your continuous support. It means more than the world to me. Honestly.

Also, I forgot to thank _LPphreek_ for adding _Make A Wish_ and _Aftershocks _to her community! Thanks! Also, thanks to _Stephy-Lou Clark-Weasley_ for adding _Make A Wish_ and _This Time Around_ to her community as well. Thanksthanksthanks!

Enormous thanks and AHHHs to my awesome reviewers from last chapter: _Nightlyangel007_, _Trixie-chan, g, joys, Laania, LunarJade, dyingdreamsv2, lilpumpkingirl, BlueHairedSaiyan, Many Voices In My Head _(ooh! hope you had fun!), _menga88, dbz-trunks-zbd, betty69blue, yourheartspeaksthetruth _(thanks so much for the long review!), _Thegirlwithcoolbesties, johncorn, Linneh, CreatorofHavoc _(Piccolo is not forgotten! don't worry :D), _MK08 (_You may be on to something...), _KayuraK, Katie Loom _(ha, doesn't it? thanks for the multiple reviews!), _6teenana1 _(The voices they have are of the ones of the body...if that makes sense), _miikodesu_, _The Azu Soul Lilly, Greendragonsheart, Death101-Fox Version, Eure, Girness, Cara2012, jdboss1, elleelle_ (Yamcha only detected the ki was different. Bulma doesn't need that :D)_, omgover9000 _(aw. yeah, he totally does it on purpose.), _Naughty Cat _(congrats!)_, PerfectLover_, _bimbosarahsurfchick_ (it was pretty! hope you're enjoying/enjoyed your surf trip!), _ScoobyDoobyDee, _and _gue22 _(thanks so much for your reviews. they were so sweet! i'm flattered!and i don't _dislike_ Saiyaman...I just...errr...like SSJ2 Gohan.).

Other Notes: to avoid confusion on the body switching, fake Vegeta/ imposter vegeta refers to Ginyu in Vegeta's body. Purple alien usually refers to Vegeta in Ginyu's body. And if I refer to Vegeta or Ginyu by only their name it's referring to _them _not their bodies. Phew.

Disclaimer: Have not required the rights to DB, DBZ, or DBGT. Will work on that.

* * *

_Shattered_

A snap of energy flashed through the front of Gohan's mind. He cringed, mouth twisting in awe and fear. Never had he felt anything like this. Not from Vegeta or his father or himself. _This ki...it's incredible_. The young boy glanced to his father, seeing the same mouth-agape expression. It was terrifyingly strong, unbearably powerful. And Gohan knew without analyzing the ki too much that it belonged to Frieza.

"Piccolo needs help." Goku made a fist, this strange look on his face. Gohan couldn't tell exactly what his father was thinking. He seemed disappointed about leaving Piccolo alone; Son Goku hated abandoning his friends. And apparently, Piccolo was a fully fledged ally now. Not some demon king or temporary partner. Goku saw him as a friend, and with that, he was incredibly concerned over the Namekian's well being. But he was anxious more than anything. "Raditz, you should check on Vegeta."

Raditz frowned. "Kakarot, you should know better than to challenge Frieza on your own. The Namekian..."

"Could still be alive if I hurry. Krillin, go back to Bulma and the others. Do you remember where the space ship was?"

His best friend looked grim. Krillin's dark eyebrows knitted together in fear and worry. "You're asking us to leave without you?"

"Yes."

Gohan shook his head wildly. Was his dad insane? Did he not understand that he needed their help? That even if Frieza did kill him and they all managed to escape, that the tyrant would be hot on their trail after blood? It was a bad plan, reckless. "Dad, you can't do that."

Goku held strong. "Gohan, you need to go back to Earth."

"No. No way. You don't know what you're up against. Wish me back with the dragon balls for all I care, I..."

"There won't be any more dragon balls if we keep talking!" Goku's powerful voice echoed amongst them, causing Gohan to shrink back in surprise more than terror. His dad never yelled. Ever. Not even when his mom refused to cook for a whole week (though he was the grumpiest the youngest Son had ever seen). There was something wrong with his father. Something powerful and angry hidden behind his normal calm face. "Gohan..." Goku breathed heavily to settle his nerves. "I can't trust myself right now. I can't promise I'll protect you anymore. You need to leave."

"Kakarot, the Super Saiyan is nothing to be afraid of." Raditz moved up towards his brother, their faces only inches apart. "Embrace it. Let the power consume you. The legend says to give yourself over to its power. Let yourself completely go."

_Was that what this is?_

Goku's temperament now seemed unnatural to Gohan. But was it because he was on the brink of obtaining the Super Saiyan? Raditz and Vegeta had talked about it a lot, Vegeta more than anyone. At first, the Saiyan prince was somewhat resistant to its existence, but urgent need made him grasp at straws. Frieza needed to die, and the prince needed an unholy amount of power to kill him.

"_I'm going to tell you a story."_

_Gohan blinked. Vegeta never told stories unless the empty threats and sarcastic insults counted. He normally grunted in Gohan's direction, considering the young Saiyan to be a waste of air and energy. Gohan had overheard on numerous occasions about how Vegeta was disappointed Raditz had returned with him and not his father._

_What good was a frightened child? Especially when you wanted to kill an emperor._

_He was left to train in the spaceship, sometimes alone against these weird green, screeching creatures that sprouted from the ground. Other times Raditz would train him, tuning his technique and how to manipulate energy. And other times, very rare times, Vegeta would invite himself in on the training session._

_There was no teaching with Vegeta. But there was a lot of blood and even more sweat. Screams only incited the Saiyan prince more. True Saiyans don't scream. True Saiyans take each punch, each kick, each blow from their enemy with a smirk and a promise to return the punishment two-fold. It took a month before Gohan understood this, but when he did, Vegeta's respect for him showed, if only minimally._

_Today was one of those days Vegeta had decided to honor Gohan with his presence. Vegeta had went slower with manipulating his energy, silently teaching Gohan a new attack. The beam of purple light was pretty, an exotic shade of energy that he never saw his father produce. He memorized the blast, the hand formations, as Vegeta powered the move over and over again. Gohan must have dodged the attack at least fifteen times._

_After three hours of intense training, both Saiyans left together, which was different. Normally, Vegeta would immediately part ways from Gohan, directing the child back to Raditz's room or the rejuvenation tanks if he was especially injured. But today he made Gohan follow him back to his own quarters, a serious look on his face._

_Gohan sat on his floor now, tail cleanly sliding across the floor. Vegeta seemed tense, more tense than usual. He knew that they were heading for Namek soon, and the thought of seeing his dad again excited the half-Saiyan. But Gohan respected his friends here. He wanted to help them. And Vegeta sensed that new loyalty._

"_I think I've under estimated you. You pick up things quickly. Especially since you're half human. You're actually one step above useless."_

_That was as much as a compliment as he was going to get. Gohan couldn't help but smile. "Really, Prince Vegeta?"_

"_Hmph. Don't look so proud. You still have too much work to be done. But I've come to accept your Saiyan heritage."_

_Gohan was confused. Didn't Vegeta always know he was Saiyan? The little boy glanced at the furry tail behind him and then wrapped it by his feet, unconsciously reminding the prince that he had _been_ a Saiyan all this time. "...Um, thank you?"_

_Vegeta threw a roll of bandages, hitting Gohan square in the head. Gohan flinched back and scrambled to pick up the roll. This wasn't anything new. The half-Saiyan grumbled and started wrapping his arm before asking, "What story did you want to tell me?"_

"_A story all Saiyan children learn. Stop doing that and pay attention boy!"_

_Gohan flinched and set the roll down. Vegeta could be rather bipolar. He crossed his legs and dropped his head. "Yes, sir."_

"_Good." The prince leaned back on his cot after wiping the slight blood on his face off with a towel. "There's a legend, a myth, whatever you call it, of the strongest warrior in the universe. Unlike what those blithering fools here on Frieza's planet think, this warrior is not from the Cold Empire, but a Saiyan."_

_He felt the need to interrupt but Gohan kept his mouth shut. He had already been told numerous times by the Saiyan prince himself that the Saiyans were the most powerful fighters in the universe. Gohan wondered what could possibly be different in this story._

_Vegeta continued, "Some Saiyans are born with an innate ability, the ability to be a Super Saiyan."_

"_Ability?" Gohan quirked an eyebrow. "You mean like...a power up? Or some sort of genetic mutation?"_

"_I mean, Brat, a transformation. Like the Oozaru. Only much more powerful."_

"_Is it as hard to control?"_

_Vegeta was silent then, and Gohan knew he didn't really know the answer. He only knew an example. "The last and only Super Saiyan destroyed a whole planet-by accident."_

Gohan saw his father, knew that Goku understood the risk of such power. The young boy no longer wondered if it was in his dad's reach. Goku had the chance to transform anytime, but he simply refused to. How different that was from Vegeta. The prince would gladly destroy a world if it meant he could transform, and here was Goku, purposely suppressing it. Gohan glanced at his uncle, and they both remained silent.

"I won't kill my family." Goku hovered off the ground. "But I will help Piccolo. Come with me and bring him back." Goku held out his hand to Raditz, and the older Saiyan grasped it tightly. Goku smiled, "You'll like Earth...brother."

"Maybe. If we ever make it there." Raditz flew up to join Goku and let go of his younger brother's hand. "Gohan, for some reason the Ginyu force is still active. Take care of them for me, will you?"

It was a hopeless battle, fighting with both his uncle _and_ his father. Ki senses focusing away from Frieza, Gohan did see that all three of the Ginyus were all alive, and was even... "Krillin, could you go to Bulma right now. I'll go to Vegeta." Though he every intention of only stopping by. Vegeta was never too fond of help. He would do a quick check and then help his father and uncle.

"Thank you, son." Goku smiled and gave a slight wave right before he and Raditz flew off towards the monstrous power. Gohan followed the white trail of his family through the sky with his eyes.. _Piccolo is still alive, but just barely. And this doesn't make sense. Why has Vegeta's power level peaked at 120,000?_

The Saiyan prince's energy was supposed to be much higher than that. He could tell too, by the sudden bursts and lows of energy that the battle was still going on. Which didn't make sense. Vegeta always warned about delaying kills. They could sneak up on you just as Guldo had before, not only making you look like a complete idiot but also risking your life. A tactical genius, it was rare that Vegeta would make such a 'weakling, beginner's'' mistake, as he termed it. _Something's not right_.

Gohan gave Krillin a curt nod and they both jolted in opposite directions, neither prepared for what was to come.

* * *

_That bastard_.

He growled before moving his new hand to his chest, weirdly colored blood spilling out in rivers. He felt his mind fading in and out. Spots of light conflicted with his vision. He felt so weak, and not just because of the chest hole Jeice managed to make with his pathetic Crusher ball technique. That attack would have been nothing to Vegeta normally. But Ginyu's body was incredibly slow and weak. He had no idea how the buffoon captain ever worked it.

_Shit_.

The self-proclaimed fastest being in the universe was now taunting him. His snake like eyes glistened as he did some moronic dance and dropped in a fighter's stance. Vegeta wasn't ready for a tag team battle, not when he was trapped in this broken down excuse for a fighter. He coughed before speaking, still not used to his new voice. "Stop it! One of you should fight me at a time like true warriors. Stop taking breaks with one another because you're tired. It's pathetic. I thought you were supposed to be members of the _Ginyu_ _Force_, not some newly planted Saibamen."

Burter glared, producing pointed fangs over his mouth, and turned back to his red comrade. "Jeice, let me take care of Vegeta first."

"Just remember not to kill him, Burta'. Cap'n Ginyu may wanna switch back." Jeice crossed his arms and smirked. "No one would want to be stuck with an ugly face like Vegeta's forever."

_Idiots. _

Vegeta rolled his now purple shoulders. This new body was atrocious. With long horns on his head and skin so clear on top that anyone could see the blood vessels of his brain, Vegeta doubted Ginyu would mind never getting this walking corpse back. The Saiyan prince's original body was a much better upgrade. He ignored the wound on his chest. Vegeta would force Ginyu to change back, and when he did, he would make sure to give Ginyu back something completely broken.

But not just yet. First, he needed to kill the two aliens in front of him.

Vegeta smiled. He sure it looked incredibly stupid on Ginyu's face, but words would be enough intimidation. "You're fools to think you have a chance of winning."

Burter snuffed, "Please, Vegeta. You were a weak, grumpy prince on Frieza's planet. Nothing more. The Ginyu Force is an elite fighting team. You're the one with no chance, especially against the Blue Hurricane!"

_What a stupid nickname. _The Saiyan prince rolled his eyes. "And what are you? Red typhoon?" Vegeta bit back a laugh.

"Psh, shows what you know, Vegeta. I'm the Red Magma!" Jeice grinned proudly.

His mouth almost dropped. _How could it have gotten any stupider? _ _These idiots are not even worth my time. _"Don't sound too cocky." He held his hand out and immediately frowned. It was this weird shade of sickening lilac, veins protruding every which way. But no matter. Ginyu knew how to manipulate ki well enough. And if Vegeta knew the move then maybe...

Burter was fast. Vegeta's momentary hand distraction led to him squirming with pain. Burter shot his knee straight in the chest. The blue alien in front of him smiled maliciously before sending a flurry of many, though relatively weak, punches into the now purple alien's abdomen. Vegeta could feel each punch vividly, much more than he had in the past year or so. Though the Saiyan prince's tolerance for pain was extremely high, Ginyu's body was not hard enough to protect him as much as Vegeta was used to. Burter's punches probably wouldn't have made the Saiyan prince flinch, but now, each fist sent bolts of pain.

Vegeta curled a lip. "Stop it!" An air rush of ki expelled from his body and pushed Burter away. His enemy rolled through the air before stopping suddenly. Burter jutted forward again, and Vegeta's new eyes were too slow to catch him vanish. Vegeta was met with a sharp pain in his back, and he crashed forward, ten feet deep in a plateau.

_This is ridiculous!_

His body was giving out already, but Vegeta bit back the pain. His nerves were completely on fire, burning, breaking under the pressure of Ginyu's relatively weak frame and the surprise attack Burter somehow managed to unleash. Scoffing, Vegeta stayed embedded in the rock. He needed a plan. Now.

"Aw, now I won't get to do anything, Burta'." Jeice was whining from the plain in front of him. "Why did you have to go and knock him out already?"

"Sorry, Jeice. He's just incredibly weak. But you did get one attack on him. That must have helped."

Vegeta heard Jeice chuckle. "Yeah. He's an arrogant jackass, isn't he? I wonder if the Cap'n managed to get back his girl. I met her twelve years ago, you know."

The Saiyan prince's eyes bulged. He forgot that Ginyu was probably after Bulma. _Kakarot better be with her and that idiot better not ruin my body. _ He only hoped they had figured it out. Ginyu was coming to Bulma as Vegeta. _She isn't an idiot. She'll know_. But he still couldn't fight back the tiny bit of doubt in his mind.

The reminder made him mobile. Vegeta moved his hand out of the rock, careful not to draw too much attention from the fighters in front of them. They were arguing now, something about who would get the credit for knocking him out and who would have to carry his body back to the real Ginyu. _They're not even checking their scouters to see if I'm conscious. _Vegeta couldn't help but grin. This would be too easy.

"Look, Burta'. Let's just play for it, okay?"

Burter sighed, "Fine, Jeice. If I win, you'll carry him back. Rock..."

"Paper..."

"Scissors..."

Vegeta held out his hand, palm stretched outwards. It was harder to get ki moving through his body, but he pushed it out, pumping energy into the center of his right hand. The pure ball of power shone brightly in his small, man-made crater, slicing through rock and reflecting hot blue light on his face. The strength funneled through him and he outwardly smirked. "Shoot."

* * *

Goku had to slow down to allow Raditz's company, but it was torturous. This power was intoxicating; it was the only way to describe it. Fighting always was is forte, his passion, but now, he could feel his body losing control. His muscles tensed and relaxed with each intake of breath. It was hard to concentrate, harder to stay calm. Unadulterated energy was pulsing through him, waiting to be released with fury. _Stay in control. You can't let that happen. You're not a monster. You can't hurt anyone else._ Sighing, Goku turned back to his brother and pointed down.

Both Saiyans stopped point blank. Frieza's ki was incredible, paralyzing. Goku had to push passed the enormous energy in order to try to get a glimmer of Piccolo. Which he did. The Namekian was weak, fading, but there was still time. They landed in front of the green alien protectively and immediately cringed.

Raditz was frozen, stunned at the mostly white alien in front of him. His mouth started twitching as Frieza frowned and looked at both of them, blood shot eyes filled with infuriated hatred. He scowled and smoothly said, "I thought I killed you. Both of you."

Goku glanced from his brother to the overlord in front of him. There were purple circles on the major points of his body: head, shoulders, stomach arms, and legs. They shone brightly in the three suns, as if they were some organic armor. Lines cut straight from the corner of his eyes, straight down his cheekbone. This was Frieza. Powerful. Brutal. Merciless. Goku could feel the excitement start to boil. "You must be mistaken. This is the first time we've ever met."

"Pardon me. I've killed so many monkeys that they all start to look the same." Frieza glanced from Goku to Raditz. "He is a Saiyan, isn't he?"

"Yes. We're both here to kill you." Raditz clenched his fists and swiped back a piece of his hair. His dark eyes were unwavering, and Goku felt akin to his brother. They were both fighters, warriors. And, hopefully, together they could bring Frieza to justice.

Frieza gave a slight laugh, "Remember when you said that last time Raditz? I can still see the hole in your armor."

"That was before. We Saiyans come back stronger every time we're near death."

"Well, I guess this time I have to make sure you're dead. I won't make that mistake again."

"Errrr...RAH!"

Goku flinched, "Raditz! No!"

But his brother was already off, pure white energy framing his body as he pounced forward. The third class Saiyan clumsily swung at Frieza, but the tyrant just snap vanished, causing him to hit nothing but air. Raditz froze and swerved around, attempting to hit the lizard creature. But Frieza once again created an afterimage. Raditz was swinging at shadows.

Goku gritted his teeth. The scene playing out in front of him was painful. _He's just toying with him. Frieza's ki is enormous. Raditz doesn't stand a chance. _ And as much as he wanted to help his brother, Goku knew he would need backup himself. The tall fighter tore his eyes away from the two flying fighters and flew over to Piccolo. His green body seemed exhausted, wasted. Goku tensed as he saw the arms by his side, severed completely. "Piccolo..." He dug through his pockets, but he didn't have any Senzu. Kneeling down, Goku placed Piccolo's head on his lap, relieved to hear the Namekian groan from the movement. "Thank Kami, Piccolo. You're alive."

Piccolo squirmed and went on his own knees, eyeing Goku with slight disgust. "Kami didn't help me." He looked down and concentrated his energy. With two wet rips, Piccolo regenerated both of his arms and fell back into the dust.

"Nice trick." Goku smiled and offered his hand. "But there's no time to rest. Raditz is fighting Frieza right now but he won't last long."

"I'm surprised he isn't dead already." Piccolo grabbed Goku's hand and wobbled to a standing position. "And I still have another trick up my sleeve. Frieza's preoccupied?"

Goku turned to the sky. Raditz was heaving, hands on his knees, body keeled over in exhaustion. But the overlord hadn't broken a sweat. Frieza was hovering stationary. His red eyes were only focused on Raditz a couple yards away. _What's he up to? _The Saiyan didn't allow himself to think about it. "Yeah, for now."

"Good. Watch closely." Piccolo swung his arms apart, producing purple ki blasts that remained stagnant in the air. Within seconds, the purple blasts were surrounding Frieza, pausing under Piccolo's command.

Goku heard a startled "WHAT!" escape Frieza's mouth before the blasts collided with their target. The multiple explosions were deafening, showering the land with bright light, dust, and debris. The Saiyan glanced to Piccolo. The move was impressive, and the Namekian noticeably relaxed. He was tired, that last move probably holding the last bit of ki he had left. But Goku remained stolid, focused.

Nothing was that easy.

* * *

Her blood was cold when she looked at him. Yamcha could easily sense it. Hell, _she_ could sense that his energy was all wrong, but that wasn't because of any training she had. She knew Vegeta, how he felt, how he acted. And this wasn't him. There was something off-putting about the way he carried himself. It seemed less sturdy, less regal if anything. And the way he spoke...it was completely wrong. Add the fact that he was wearing a scouter again, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that this wasn't the Saiyan prince.

But who the hell was he?

"Bulma, please." He held out his hand again, jerking his fingers up and down as if to beckon her to his side. He certainly did look like Vegeta. Same impossible hair, same dark shrouded eyes. But no. It wasn't him. Frieza's soldiers had their tricks, and this must have been one of them.

"I'm...good, right here, Vegeta." Bulma wouldn't play his game, not fully. She saw Yamcha glance at her with concern, but the blue haired genius shrugged it off. "Why don't you go help Goku or something?"

The Vegeta imposter only looked confused. He was mumbling to himself, frustrated, but quickly stopped. "You there! Yamcha...umm...tell Bulma to come with me! Your...errr...Our friends are in desperate need for her help!"

The two humans gave each other sideward glances. Yamcha shrugged and walked over. "You know what, Vegeta?" The bandit cracked a smile and then sent his fist flying across the imposter's cheek. The fake Vegeta fell back, butt slamming on the ground harshly.

Bulma's mouth dropped open. Okay. This was definitely not Vegeta. "...Yamcha!"

"Sorry, I've wanted to do that for a while." Yamcha shouted turning to Bulma and then back to the fighter in front of him. "Who are you?"

If the doppelganger answered, Bulma wasn't listening. Krillin was already landing next to her looking as confused as Bulma felt. "Mind telling me what's going on?"

Bulma shrugged, "...it looks like Yamcha just decked Vegeta in the face." The words were gibberish to her. Her mind was baffled. There were two options circling through her. Either someone was able to mimic Vegeta's appearance or had somehow stolen his body. And it was that thought that made her grab Krillin's gi in desperation. "Where's Vegeta!"

"...I thought you said..."

"I know what I said, Krillin! That isn't Vegeta! Vegeta wouldn't have ever let Yamcha hit him! What's going on! Where is he?"

"Bulma, calm down..."

"Stop telling me to calm down!" She was frustrated, tired of being on the sidelines, taking the easy, safe way out. It was the safe way that had her leave Vegeta on Karbos. It was the safe way that had stopped her from telling him about the dragon balls or Earth in the first place. Safe was what made her settle for Yamcha. Safe was what was holding her back. It was her irrational side, the side that wanted adventure, that had her meet Goku. It was her outbursts, her somewhat annoying shrieks that kept her strong, that got her that perfect wish. And now, it was that side of her that she wanted people to listen to. "That freak over there isn't him! Which means he could be dead! Either you're going to find him for me or I'm about to leave you all and get him myself! You hear me, Krillin?"

The tiny man gulped and nodded. "I'll find him, Bulma. But Yamcha needs help first."

Bulma took a breath and refocused on her ex-boyfriend. He was now squaring off against the imposter, and Bulma had to shake her head to suppress some other thoughts. She had been afraid of this, the two men fighting over her. Though she wasn't one to be selfless, she had to remind herself that they weren't fighting for her, not in the way she had originally pictured. "I don't care." It felt heartless to say, but she couldn't help it. "Vegeta could be dead right now."

"Such little faith in me is disheartening."

Both Krillin and Bulma edged back at the new voice. Neither of them recognized it, and turning around, Bulma did no better at identifying who it was that spoke. This monster was disgusting to look at. With horns and veins and sickening eyes, she had never seen any alien like that. But something was keeping there. For some reason, she wasn't afraid.

"Get back, Bulma." Kirllin shakily stood in front of her, arms spread wide. "Go back and hide with Dende."

The purple alien breathed, "Where is the young Namekian? I hope he still has his healing abilities."

_How...how does he... _Bulma didn't move back. Instead, she glanced to where Yamcha and fake Vegeta were staring each other down. She watched as the familiar Saiyan threw a sloppy punch, which Yamcha easily dodged.

"Hmph." The new alien grunted. "Pathetic worm can't even use my body correctly. What a waste."

"Vegeta!" She ran up to the alien and moved into a hug, but stopped when she saw the blood on his armor. "...what happened?"

"We'll talk later. " The purple alien moved to the side, revealing the body of a red alien behind him.

Bulma recognized it instantly. "Isn't that...that guy from Karbos?"

The purple alien nodded.

"Wait, wait, wait. What is going on? Who _are_ you? And who's that?" Krillin pointed to the fallen Jeice and then crossed his arms. "And what's a Karbos?"

"Forget it." The purple alien carefully maneuvered over to where Dende was hiding, scrunched behind a rock. The Namekian screamed, but his mouth was soon covered by a withered, purple hand. "Quiet fool. Stand guard and join the humans over there." The purple alien flinched as Ginyu finally managed to maneuver Vegeta's body. The Saiyan's fist collided with Yamcha's cheek.

Bulma turned to Krillin, practically bouncing. "See! It's Vegeta! He's safe Krillin! He's alright!"

The former monk raised an eyebrow, "You sure about that?"

"Oh shut up. He'll be him again. I'm sure he has a plan to get his body back."

"Ignoring how ridiculous that sounds Bulma, I hope you're right." Krillin scratched his head. "Because that sure is a hard face to love."

The new, unimproved Vegeta watched as Dende scampered over to Krillin and Bulma and then tossed Jeice's body forward to grab the two fighter's attention. It worked easily. The fake Vegeta immediately turned and grimaced. "What's going on?" Dark eyes glared. "Vegeta..."

Vegeta held up his now purple arms. "No! No! It's Jeice! "

Bulma's blue eyes widened. _Is that part of his plan...or is it really Jeice?_ She glanced down to the red alien, practically lifeless on the ground. _And if that really is Jeice...than Vegeta..._

Vegeta's imposter clenched his fists, angry. "Impossible! How could you be Jeice?"

"Vegeta couldn't work your body. It was far too advanced for him. He just yelled that...Swap! or whatever you say, and we changed bodies! But I managed to knock him out." The purple alien kicked the body on the ground."

But the fake Vegeta still wasn't convinced. "If you're Jeice, prove it."

The purple alien sighed and steadied himself on the ground. He looked back briefly to Bulma, Krillin, and Dende, and then forward. His weird eyes settled on Yamcha, who was wiping the blood trickling down his nose. The purple alien raised a wrinkled, tattered hand and shot a small ki blast towards the black haired human, burning through the orange gi and causing the bandit to fall back again in pain. The horned monster gave the fake Vegeta a confused look. "Is that good enough?"

"Alright, Jeice. You can use Vegeta's body until we put yours into the rejuvenation tank, deal? But that chest injury better be minor."

"It's fine."

The fake Vegeta nodded his head and shouted, "SWITCH!"

There was a sudden flash of blinding light between the two bodies, and Bulma had to cover her eyes in shock and fear. _It is Vegeta...I know it. _ But she couldn't help but be a little anxious. When the light cleared, she immediately glanced over to Vegeta's body, looking for any signal to see if it was him again.

The purple alien spoke first. "Well, Jeice..." His hand fell down to his chest. "I don't know _how_ you ever thought this was manageable. You're carrying the body back to Frieza's ship. Hopefully there's a tank for us to use."

"It is manageable." And when he smiled, that dark half-smile, Bulma sighed in relief. Vegeta flashed in front of the purple alien and jammed his fist through his armor and chest. "At least compared to that."

His purple body fell to the floor, lifeless.

Bulma cringed at the action. It was brutal, violent, but, she realized, necessary. They were safe. Crisis avoided, all thanks to him. It was then she remembered what had happened. "Yamcha..." She grabbed the Namekian's hand and dragged him to her ex-boyfriend. Yamcha held on to his burnt shoulder, shivering in agony but very much alive. _Thank goodness. _"Can you heal him?"

The little Namekian nodded and held out his hands. Soon the bandit was back on his feet. He glared at the Saiyan prince who was busy creating another energy blast. Yamcha scowled. "And what, may I ask, was that for?"

Vegeta shrugged and let loose the blue light on Jeice's unconscious body. His eyes momentarily locked onto Bulma, reading her face, looking for her reaction. She knew he didn't want her to see him kill, so she tried to remain calm, but if she had to be honest, it was terrifying. This was life or death. Plain and simple. And it was plainly obvious that she was no way in Hell prepared physically or mentally for this shit.

The Saiyan prince looked back to the bandit. "Sorry, I've wanted to do that for a while."

* * *

As the smoke cleared, Goku steadied his feet in the ground, digging deeply into Namek's dirt. _He's still alive...I still sense him._

"Dad!"

_Crap. _Goku turned his head, "Gohan, what are you doing here?

"Vegeta was already gone when I got there." His son landed between him and looked back, "Are you okay, Mr. Piccolo?"

The Namekian nodded. "Don't worry about me, Gohan. Focus on yourself."

"Is Uncle Raditz fighting Frieza...by himself?" Gohan edged up, "I'm going..."

"Stop it." Goku placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't rush it."

Raditz was already floating down. He was exhausted from the pure chase. Frieza hadn't even attempted to punch him. _He knows he's too strong. One punch and Raditz would be knocked out already._ Frieza seemed to want to kill them slowly. This was fun for him.

In the shadows of the dust fog, Frieza's white body slowly came into vision. His long tail whipped back and forth, and the alien attempted a smile. It was sickly, sinister, a shade of anything joyful. Goku tightened his shoulders even more. He was beginning to understand just how evil this guy was.

One long finger raised, Frieza sent a thin purple beam straight from the tip. It burrowed through air and was directed straight for Piccolo's straining chest. Gohan immediately flew off, screaming. "Piccolo! No!"

"Gohan! Stop it!" Goku's heart was tipping through his chest. His body wasn't reacting fast enough, too stunned, floored by his only son running in front of the Namekian. Only his voice was moving, "GOHAN!"

The energy beam finally collided into the new shield, killing him instantly. The Saiyan fell to the ground, black hair covering his now cold, pale face. Goku didn't understand. His normally calm, fighter's mind was shattered, destroyed.

Gohan breathed and rolled to the side, pushing his uncle's lifeless body gently to the ground.

* * *

A/N:

Note: (well isn't that redundant) "Switch!" is what Ginyu shouts in the manga I own (VizBig volume 3 for all you fact checkers :D). I think he says something like "CHANGE NOW!" in the anime, but I didn't feel like searching through episodes to see exactly. So I used that.

Also, as you may have guessed, I am slowly approaching the end of this story. Not sure how many chapters are left, but there are a couple. But we're reaching a turning point, and I am thrilled to work on the next chapters for you. See you in (roughly) a week! Thanks everyone!


	19. Whispers

A/N:

Writing this chapter was hard for me, so it's a little shorter than I originally intended. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! It's your reviews that keep me on schedule!

Thanks:

_ScoobyDoobyDee _(schedules are hard D:)_, Niko8, BlueHairedSaiyan, Many Voices In My Head _(That is a high compliment! and glad I could convert you to a Vegeta fan ^_^), _dbz-trunks-zbd, yourheartspeaksthetruth, CreatorOfHavoc, KC, Cara2012, Greendragonsheart, Naughty Cat, Eure, KayuraK (_anyone that willingly poses like that is an idiot in my book), _MK08, jdboss1, betty69blue, dyingdreamsv2, Firestorm1991 (_glad you could catch up! now you have to deal with my updating...), _Death101-Fox Version, Girness, 6teenana1 _(he turns into a frog in the anime, but not the manga. none of that bulma change thing happens either. yay filler!)_, Trixie-chan, omgover9000 _(oh good! he is a good villain, I must agree), _WinryCherry101, _and _Onba_.

also, thanks to everyone who reviewed my new oneshot! that was extra special to me since I never wrote anything focused on those two before (though I want to write more! need ideas...)

And sorry for the partial confusion from last chapter. I suggest rereading the last line if you're confused...but this chapter will clear things up. I'll try to make things much clearer in the future (when/if I kill off more people).

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

_Whispers_

Her eyes told the whole story though he knew she wouldn't say it. Not unless he provoked her, which he was still unsure he wanted to do. _Has she ever seen me kill?_

It was weird to think that she hadn't. Killing was a part of his life, a large part. She had been in his life before and managed to scratch and crawl her way into his very being, but she hadn't seen him murder anyone this callously.

Though a part of the annoying, nagging part of his brain (that he would probably never comprehend) regretted the action. He didn't want her to fear him, but then again he was also darkly curious. This was him. Plain and simple. She knew his past and looked beyond it. She had been on the frontlines of his verbal assaults, of his obsessive tirades, and she was here. It killed him to think he needed her around him, but if she had left because of this, Vegeta wasn't exactly sure how close he would be from breaking. He coughed harshly, deep voice sounding grating in his throat. "It was..."

"I know." Her blue eyes flashed to the ash on the ground. The air smelled horrible. Burnt leathery skin, crisp bodies. There was nothing physically there, nothing but dust, but all of them knew what had just happened. The smell hung through the air as a constant reminder. Bulma stiffened her body, "...I understand."

"Do you?" The words were icy, but Vegeta needed to know. He watched her twitch and immediately frowned.

Half of him didn't expect an answer. If she were smart, she would have been running or crying. But Bulma didn't do anything but stand there. He watched her heavy chest fall and crash, like battering waves on rocks. Vegeta frowned at her; she was too fragile for this. But she surprised him by nodding and stepping closer. Her fingers traced his cheekbones before she placed a delicate kiss on his cheek. "Do you remember when I first kissed you?"

He couldn't help the red coloring his face. Vegeta hated such vulgar acts in public, but the memory linked to her words made him ignore it. "Yes."

"You thought I was going to attack you."

"I did not."

She smiled then and kissed him again. Vegeta felt his stomach quirk, a mixture of bile and different pangs of emotion. Bulma had the audacity to giggle. "You still need to relax."

"Woman, do you realize where we are? Even I know you are not that moronic." Vegeta wanted her closer, but more than anything, he wanted her safe. "Frieza is on this rock. I will not _relax_..."

Her body colliding with his was one of the only things that ever caught him off guard. It was unexpected, almost unnatural-that kind of contact. He would still stiffen though she had never tried to hurt him. Muscles tensed, jaw clenched, Vegeta growled before relaxing into her embrace. As unnatural as it was, it was nice. He felt...he didn't know.

He didn't know what she was doing, but she was already wrapping her arms around his shoulders to tightly grip him. Bulma pushed her body closer to his, soft fabric of her clothes creating friction on his battle armor. She couldn't seem to get close enough to him, but Vegeta didn't feel any need to move. But that still didn't warrant her behavior. "Woman..."

"Shut up, okay? Just be quiet and let me enjoy this." She gripped him harder, small hands moving down his back as she buried her face in his neck. The action made Vegeta incredibly warm. Part of it was embarrassment. What happened between a Saiyan and his mate were left between the two, not uninvolved spectators. Bulma was making these weird noises, and he didn't like it. "When you weren't you...for a second I thought...I thought..."

"You thought wrong." He grabbed both her cheeks and lifted her face, wanting to get a glimmer of her eyes-eyes he thought were once incredibly disturbing and foreign. Now they were a reminder of a life with no Frieza, a life _after_ Frieza. He trailed his gloved fingers down her cheekbones. Vegeta had never touched anything so gently, but she was fragile. She was precious to him and the last thing he wanted to do was break her.

* * *

It was like a barrier cracking. This shield he had between him and his limits, boundaries he didn't even know existed, were bursting. His eyes were unfocused, and he could feel a typhoon of hot energy seep through him, showering him in power and unadulterated fury.

He reigned in that power when he saw his son yelling. It was almost a relief not to feel that energy anymore, that once consuming energy that seemed almost golden to his glazed over eyes. Gohan was screaming something inaudible, and the young boy's own eyes seemed solely white. The half-Saiyan shot his body towards Frieza, but the lizard emperor only vanished, reappearing only to smack Gohan harshly into Goku's open arms.

Confusion seemed to calm Goku's senses even more. His son was injured, not dead, and he carefully placed Gohan lightly on the ground before standing against his enemy. "You will fight me. Leave the others out of this."

"Another third class monkey? Please." Frieza's purple lips grimly smiled before he lifted himself into the air. "In order to rid the universe of this monkey infestation, I need to start with the leader. Raditz was just collateral damage. Excuse me, please."

Within seconds, Frieza was disappearing across the sky, leaving with Goku's anger. The buzzing noise in his mind went away, and Goku turned to his son. Gohan was crying, bawling. Red blood was over his hands and cheeks, and Goku had to peel him off from the dead body on the ground. "Stop crying, Gohan. Calm down."

"...but he...he..." Gohan cowered his head into his father's shoulder. He was still too young for this. _I don't know if anyone's ever old enough for this._ Goku stroked the upper end of Gohan's neck, a sad attempt at comforting his son's trembling body. Raditz was dead. His face was white, eyes rolled over. The stench of blood and burn wounds hovered around him, gluing Goku's feet still.

They hadn't known each other long and barely had more than a couple conversations together, yet still, Goku could feel a growing pain in his heart. This man had been his brother, his ally, and now he was dead. "It's okay. Please let go, Gohan." Goku nudged his little boy from him, but Gohan gripped tightly. His tears were staining Goku's newly obtained armor, and the man felt his heart tear when he forced the boy off of him. "Piccolo, take Gohan and Raditz's body back to Earth."

"Dad...please don't leave me. Please..." Gohan's voice was raspy through the tears. His small hands reached towards his father, but Goku turned away. Piccolo grabbed the little boy by the waist before taking Raditz's corpse.

Piccolo hesitated, cringing a bit at Gohan's wailing kicks. "Are you sure about this, Goku?"

"I need the both of you alive more than anything." His dark eyes fell to the puddle of blood staining the ground. "Go back to Earth and collect the dragon balls."

"You want me to wish Raditz back to life?" Piccolo shifted his weight again. The mention of the dragon balls seemed to calm down Gohan's nerves.

"No. We may need the wish for something else. I...I don't know how to stay in contact with you."

"I'll ask King Kai to look out for you. Don't freak out if you hear a voice in your head. Do you understand, Goku?"

The Saiyan nodded. "Thank you, Piccolo. Who knew you'd be such a good friend."

Piccolo didn't visually respond. He glanced at the young boy still crying in his arms and then back to Son Goku. "You killed my father. And now I'm taking care of your son."

"I owe you a lot. I won't pretend I don't."

"I'm not asking for anything, Goku." Piccolo shook his head. "I think I failed to be the full demon my father wanted me to be. Seeing the terror that Frieza and his men bring and my own people's way of life, I can't say I wish for the same things I did a year ago."

Goku weakly smiled. His mind was still with Frieza's escaping figure, but he kept a straight face. Fools rushed into battle without calming their heads first And Goku may have been foolish at home or with his friends, but never when fighting an enemy. He was collected, calculating. His innate fighter's sense would look for any sign of weakness and then quickly expose it. But he wasn't sure what Frieza's weakness was or if the cold lizard had any at all.

And _then_ there was a part of him, that growing, gnawing fury, which wanted to rip away the collected Goku. The calm, loving, forgiving Goku. He wanted to throw the passive Goku aside and opt for this primal violence battling in his chest. _Save it for Frieza._

He would channel that energy then. Raditz's death, Gohan's injury, the hell that monster had put his friends through- he would use all of that when he was fighting the alien for real. But first, he needed to make sure his son was safe. "That's good to hear, Piccolo." He placed a hand on Gohan's rising back and whispered, "You were brave today, Gohan. Never forget that I love you. Tell your mother I love her more than anything. Will you remember that?"

The little boy turned his head. Clear tears were outlining his eyes. "Daddy, you're scaring me."

_If my body is completely destroyed, not even the dragon balls could bring me back. _He glanced at Raditz's body. It was haggard looking, limp, and that was only after a few minutes. Goku was much stronger than the other Saiyan, which meant he could give Frieza much more of a fight. _And there's this power..._

He wasn't sure if this power in him wouldn't completely rip his body to shreds if he let it.

"I'll try to send the others back." Goku gulped. He needed to get Krillin out of there. The man had already died once and couldn't be resurrected again. "If they don't meet you in an hour..."

"I won't hesitate to save myself, Goku." Piccolo grunted. "But save my planet."

Goku raised an eyebrow. "You don't consider Earth to be your planet anymore?"

Piccolo shook his head, "I meant the Earth too. No doubt Frieza will want to find us there."

The Saiyan took that information and locked it into his mind, saving the fuel for the inferno that was waiting to be released.

* * *

His heart threatened to leave his chest with the way he was holding her. They were desperate, that much was obvious. Desperate for each other's touch, each other's skin. How he wanted to just take her away to a place where he didn't have to worry about her weak frame and faulty physical ability. He just wanted to feel her hair. Vegeta smirked. It was still so smooth despite their surroundings. He remembered briefly how she used to bitch when she was younger about her personal hygiene and how his quarters weren't equipped with the proper cleaning 'essentials'.

_Maybe she's matured. _The Saiyan grunted at that. He had no doubt that as soon as she was back on her own dirtball she'd be wailing about her clothes and hair and whatever useless crap she complained about.

Vegeta stiffened. _Fuck. I didn't realize I actually missed her._

At least not this intensely. He knew she had taken a part of him with her that day she left. Vegeta had thought about her constantly, though those thoughts sometimes verged on wanting to rip her throat out. Now he would kill anyone that even dared thinking about hurting her.

The bald one coughed in the background, and Vegeta growled in annoyance. "What do you want, human?"

"Err...there's ...there's..."

Vegeta's eyes became dry and bloodshot immediately. He was stupid, careless, distracted. Damn this girl was always so distracting! He pushed Bulma away from him, perhaps a little too roughly, but the scar-faced idiot immediately went over to her.

"Vegeta!" She sounded wounded. Bulma scrambled to her feet and immediately placed her hands on her hips. "What the hell is wrong with you?" She groaned. "Don't answer that. I already know. But do you mind giving me more warning next time?"

"Leave." There was nothing warm in his voice. He didn't have time for explanations or useless chitchat. Bulma needed to get out of here now. "Take her and the Namekian away from here. Frieza..."

Yamcha pulled Bulma back towards him, but his face looked crestfallen. "He's already here...his ki."

_No, no, no, no! _ This wasn't how this was supposed to turn out. She was supposed to be safe! Frieza was never supposed to get to her. She couldn't...he wouldn't let her die. "What the fuck are you standing around for?"

"If we fly he'll sense our energy." Yamcha was struggling with his hold on Bulma's waist. The woman did not like the idea of leaving Vegeta alone, he knew that.

Vegeta sighed and walked up to her, taking her hands and pulling her away from Yamcha. "Listen to me closely. I do not have time to repeat myself." He quickly glanced back. Frieza's ki was pounding through the sky, headed directly towards them. He didn't have much time. "You need to leave me alone with him. You can't be here when Frieza comes."

"Because I'll distract you?" She asked innocently.

"No. Because you will die." Vegeta turned to leave, but her small hands grabbed his wrist. She didn't have much strength in her, but he turned anyway. He wanted to memorize her, though he knew that would be impossible. With such weirdly beautiful features, he doubted he could fully take in all of her. But, he needed to. He needed to remember her, to engrave her in his mind just in case this was the last time he would see her. "What?"

Her blue eyes seemed almost shy, which was incredibly strange for her. The shyness soon disappeared when Bulma completely embraced him again and placed her mouth right over his ear. "I love you."

His voice caught at her words. They seemed to easily flow out of her mouth, and yet his mind couldn't process them, not completely. She had said it low, softly. Most likely because she did not want the others to hear her. He could feel that intense pressure in his chest grow even more, and as much as he wanted to just grip her body tightly against his own, he knew he couldn't. He didn't want to hurt her.

She was doing enough hugging on both their ends anyway, and Vegeta simply placed his hands back through her hair. He could never get enough of that blue, silk hair. Bulma looked up suddenly, and he wondered if she expected him to say something.

Was that the kind of thing that warranted a reply?

She hadn't phrased it like a question, but he could already see the frustration igniting in her eyes. Vegeta couldn't get words to form on his lips. He kissed her forehead instead, but that didn't seem to be enough. Bulma's relatively weak grip became weaker. She nodded her head to herself and bit her lip. "I'll see you again."

"No promises."

"You will kill him, Vegeta."

He looked up to her and saw only confidence. This was what she thought of him and he had no idea why. She loved him. She wanted him too.

The Saiyan prince could only nod. He glared back to the bandit, a silent demand to take her away now. And within seconds, they were hiding close by. _I need to move him. _

That would be his first objective. Killing the tyrant would be hard enough without the constant pressure of making sure that woman was safe. He relaxed a little when he felt the two human men's ki decreased. He could barely sense them , and he was trying to. Dende and Bulma's kis were not noticeable at all. Frieza would never find them unless he specifically tried to.

Vegeta clenched his fists. He wouldn't put it past the demon.

It appeared that Vegeta was alone, just as he would have it. One on one duel with the devil. His black eyes carved through the sky in patient agony. Frieza's ki was a mountain in the plain, but the Saiyan prince still didn't have a visual.

All his training seemed to boil down to this moment. He anticipated this day, dreamed about it. But as he stood there in nothing but his armor and the wind, Vegeta felt unprepared. There were days when he could have worked harder and pushed himself more. He wasn't a Super Saiyan, but he wouldn't let that be his death.

No.

He needed to live. He had something to live for.

His head snapped back up. There was an object blocking one of the suns. Its long tail whipped, thrashed at the air, and Vegeta arms dropped in horror. He was taller now and more terrifying. Frieza landed easily in front of him, red eyes tearing through his mind.

"You've been a real pest, Vegeta. Surprising. I'm mildly impressed that you managed to get rid of the Ginyus." His shiny body looked sickly. Like worn, veined leather. Frieza raised one finger. "But...what is that phrase? All good things..."

"...Come to an end." Vegeta's pulse was stampeding. He attempted to steady his energy, but he just wanted to kill the son of a bitch. His instincts were taking over, but he didn't want to go into this fight blind. Vegeta sharply inhaled. _She believes in you. _ It felt stupid to think those words. And even stupider to think she hadn't been the only one. Raditz was depending on him, and so was his father.

"_...some Saiyans are born with this innate ability. It hasn't happened for thousands of years, but I see this strength in you."_

It couldn't have been the only way. Immortality or legends. That couldn't be the only option in destroying this fiend. Vegeta cut back his nerves, opting for biting remarks. "Your reign is coming to an end, Frieza."

"Now, now. _That's_ where you're wrong, my little prince. All good things come to an end, and fortunately for me..." Frieza laughed. It was sheering, glass shattering. Vegeta bore his teeth in hatred of this monster. This was nothing but a game to him, a stupid play of cat and mouse. Frieza materialized inches from the Saiyan's face, his speed paralyzing. "...I'm not any good."

His clawed hands scraped across the prince's cheek, drawing blood as he was hit ten feet away from his original position. Frieza's power was unbearable, but Vegeta quickly stood up, ignoring the three lines of blood stinging his face.

Frieza didn't bother moving. "I could make this quick, you know. One simple shot through the heart maybe? Or maybe I should just blow up this pile of shit and you along with it. You can't breathe in space, can you? And neither can that little bitch of yours, I'm sure."

He didn't react to Frieza's taunt about Bulma. Vegeta wiped the falling drops of blood and smiled. "Then do it."

"But what fun would that be? I wouldn't get to hear you scream." Another flash. Frieza was in front of him and back-fisted the Saiyan in the nose. "Or cry. That wouldn't be fun at all."

Blood flowed swiftly from his nose, and Vegeta held his head down in an attempt not to choke on it. Saiyans healed quickly from battle; it was a part of their physiology, but he was pretty sure his nose was broken. Vegeta barely acknowledge it. This wouldn't be his first broken nose, or even his fifth. "Not here."

Frieza almost laughed again. "You're joking."

"No. " He gagged as some blood managed to slip down, but the injury was already healing. Vegeta wiped the remnants away from his upper lip and tried to steady his breathing. He was incredibly outclassed. His mind was becoming unfocused, dizzy already. He had not waited over twenty years to be taken down so easily, to come against Frieza like this. Even though his prideful mind would never outwardly admit it, Vegeta was slowly becoming terrified.

But he grounded himself. If this was his last stand, then so be it. He would despise himself for never trying. Though he wanted to live, he could never have a life as a coward. "This land smells like your lackeys' corpses. We need a new battleground."

"Consider it your first introduction to death. You better get used to it. I bet Hell smells worse."

"Tell me when you get there."

"Arrogant for someone so weak." Frieza drove his fist straight through Vegeta's front armor and smirked at the Saiyan's bruised body.

The air was already spinning. Bits of darkness seemed to invade Vegeta's vision as he struggled to recover from his knees. He coughed violently, hacking up blood. It was warm, salty in his mouth, and although Vegeta felt broken down, he stammered back to his feet, again wiping his mouth. He bit down hard and raised his hand. This couldn't be happening. Not like this. He was not going to lose. "I WILL END YOU!"

The blue blast flew off his hand easily. It drained his being, leaving him weaker but still standing. Vegeta breathed heavily as the dust and rock left the area. Frieza was completely unscathed. "I'm getting bored of you, Vegeta. If that's seriously the best you can do, then there's really no point dragging this out longer."

"Wh...what?" He was worn, tired. Memories of training, of Vegeta-sei, of every moment of hell in Frieza's hands, crashed and tore their way through him. Every single day he had waited for this moment. And now...now he couldn't even fucking damage him! "What the fuck are you? Why won't you die!"

"Because you're doing it entirely wrong." The ice demon's voice became low, threatening. "Let me show you."

With one long finger, Frieza aimed directly over the prince's heart. Vegeta could feel his breath and chest falter. The timing would have to be perfect if he wanted to live. He needed to live. _Do it, Frieza. _He could dodge it. Everyone thought he could. Everyone expected him to beat this monster. And damn it, he was going to. _Go ahead and try._

He watched as the small purple blast started to materialize out from his fingertip. But the light never left his finger. A white boot came into contact with Frieza's head, and the tyrant was knocked quickly to the ground, face first.

Vegeta growled at the man landing in front of him. He seemed different, black hair slightly levitating with ki. "Kakarot."

* * *

A/N:

Tired. Bedtime. thanks for reading :)


	20. In a World of Darkness

A/N:

Oh my. So close to the end. insanity.

Thanks everyone for helping me break over 800 reviews :) happyhappyhappy

Special thanks to those who reviewed chapter 19:

_Cloud Envy Shikamaru_, _withloveagain, Many Voices In My Head _(I'm pretty sure I don't know how to write a chapter without a cliffhanger...), _joys, yourheartspeaksthetruth, BlueHairedSaiyan, Greendragonsheart, menga88, PerfectLover, Solitaire9, dyingdreamsv2, KayuraK _(Haha!we'll see...), _betty69blue _(one of them will be before the other. who'll ascend first though, i'm not telling), _Death101-Fox Version, SaytheSamurai _(thanks :D), _BlackDiamond07 _(Sorry! I only thank the reviewers from the last chapter! otherwise it'd take me a while...and I promise it won't take 8 more chapters!), _dbz-trunks-zbd, ZombieChick422, v-mangrl, elleelle_, _Girness, ScoobyDoobyDee, Trixie-chan, sorrellkaren _(thanks so much for your wonderful reviews on all of my stories! they were all super nice! And I have considered a post-Majin buu fic...but I'm not sure if I could completely focus it on B/V. I'll brainstorm!), _bimbosarahsurfchick (_Radditz is sweet...I guess. Also, Vegeta doesn't know he's dead. he just knows that Raditz believes in him to defeat Frieza. I hope that got across...glad you had a fun time on your trip!), _jdboss1, HawResf, omgOver9000, wishiwerebulmasobad, vegetas would be grl, _and _Katie Loom._

Thanks everyone!

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I still wasn't Akira Toriyama.

* * *

_In a World of Darkness_

It was hard to convince Piccolo that he didn't need to be carried anymore, but somehow Gohan managed. As much as he wanted to fly back towards his father and Uncle Vegeta, he knew that wouldn't be the best option. He wanted to live and he wanted his Uncle Raditz to live too, but there was no way that he could leave Namek with his father and his other friends still on it.

Frieza would hunt them down slowly, separating them and then meticulously killing them off, one by one. Sure, the half-Saiyan boy didn't know the emperor very well, but he knew he was ruthless. He knew that Frieza had no qualms about killing, and that the creature was currently determined to wipe out the Saiyan race and anyone connected to it.

"The ship isn't too much further." Piccolo wasn't flying too fast. Too much speed would yield a detectable ki, something they couldn't risk. Raditz's body was also a bulky thing to fly with.

Gohan took a glance at his dead uncle. Of course, he knew the Earth had its own set of wish granting orbs; the little boy used to wear one of them on his hat! He had become unstable at his uncle's death, rational thought obliterated from the need of wanting to fight. Gohan coughed, "Will Shenron be able to wish Raditz back?"

The Namekian gave a noncommittal shrug. "Perhaps. Shenron revives a person usually where there body is located."

"We could just do it here though...with our last wish, can't we?"

Piccolo seemed silent then, though Gohan didn't understand why. It wasn't such a preposterous, but the Namekian seemed reluctant to give any sort of response. Gohan decided to ask a different question instead, "So Uncle Raditz will live on Earth with us?"

Piccolo didn't answer this one right away. He slowed down even more and started to descend, the pointed Namekian spaceship showing clearly on the ground below. "I am not sure if a Saiyan would be comfortable with a life on Earth."

"But my dad's fine, Mr. Piccolo."

"That old turtle man said your dad experienced head trauma when he was a boy." Piccolo rolled his eyes. "It's a miracle I didn't figure that out before."

Gohan shrugged and let his tail loose through the air. "It's okay though. Uncle Raditz and Uncle Vegeta will like Earth, I know they will." But he didn't. They were both so volatile and so used to fighting. It'd be a big adjustment for sure, but it would be much better than the life they knew as Frieza's slaves. "I can't wait to see my mom again."

"You'll see her."

"Though she'll probably just make me study..." He couldn't help but smile a bit at that sentence. It was weird how easily priorities could change. He never thought there'd be a day when he'd miss his mom's constant nagging.

Gohan glanced at the spaceship currently in front of him. Though impressive, it still looked slightly primitive compared to Frieza's spaceships. It was white and purple and had an almost shell appearance. The spaceship, strangely, looked similar in architectural style to the Namekian villages he had seen.

Piccolo grunted. "What a waste."

"Huh?" That took the half-Saiyan aback. As far as technological advancement was concerned, the spaceship was a great step for Earthlings. Of course, Gohan didn't recommend actually exploring space too thoroughly. After his little adventure with the Saiyans, he doubted some kind of grand tour of space would turn out too well. "What do you mean, Mr. Piccolo?"

"To see you waste all of your potential over books. Your father won't be around to protect you or the Earth forever. You need more training." The Namekian snuffed a bit and walked forward. The green man stepped up further towards the ship. "Piccolo."

Gohan's eyes bugged out as the entrance to the ship slowly opened to reveal the interior. "How...how..." He shook his head, horribly confused. "How did you even _know_ about this ship?"

"I watched everything from King Kai's planet, and this ship used to be Kami's." Piccolo retreated into another room where he dropped Radit'z body. He wiped the remainder of blood on his gi before turning back to Gohan. "We're connected, you know."

Gohan shook his head. "No, I don't. Kami is God, right?"

Piccolo made a disgusted noise at that statement. He walked through the dark ship, switching on lights and letting the boy follow him behind. "He's a guardian for Earth and creator of the Earth dragon balls, nothing more."

"Well, that's pretty impressive by itself." Gohan shrank back a bit hearing Piccolo's angry grumble. "...Why don't you like him? Was he mean to you?"

Piccolo shook his head, "We're actually the same person."

"Oh." Gohan didn't exactly understand that. His father used to tell him some stories from his childhood, but some of the details went beyond the full-blooded Saiyan himself. "Oh! Like you and Nail?"

"Almost. What Nail and the older Piccolo did was a different kind of fusion than the one between my father and Kami. We were once the same Namekian and managed to split. I do not think I can do that with Nail."

This was getting even more complicated than the Saiyan originally thought. "Wait, he was the same Namekian as your _father_? Then doesn't that technically make him your..."

"No." Piccolo was obviously getting frustrated. He briefly reminded Gohan of Vegeta for a second...if Vegeta were infinitely more patient. "Namekians reproduce much differently than humans or Saiyans."

Gohan nodded. "Oh alright. It still amazes me that humans and Saiyans are so genetically similar that they can actually produce living, functioning offspring."

He saw the slight surprise on Piccolo's face. "You're smart, Gohan."

"Th-thank you, Mr. Piccolo." The boy's smile widened.

"Seeing that I no longer have any plans to take over the world, I think my schedule will be pretty free when we get back to Earth."

He knew what the Namekian was saying, and Gohan jumped at the chance. "You're welcome to come to Mt. Paozu, Mr. Piccolo. I'm sure my dad would like a sparring partner like you. And maybe you could train me more, if you think I have such potential."

Piccolo crossed his arms and looked at the small boy. He didn't seem like much at all, but the boy had heart and courage if pushed in the right direction. "I think I'd like that."

* * *

_What? How could a third class idiot cause that amount of damage?_

He would have been angry at Goku if the man hadn't just saved his life. Vegeta wiped the remainder of blood staining the bottom portion of his nose and looked to the taller Saiyan. There was something different about his ki; his energy seemed almost tainted with emotion. "Kakarot, level your head. You'll never survive like this."

Goku didn't respond or even look over to the Saiyan prince. His incited gaze never left the fallen form of Frieza. "Don't bother getting up. You'll just be knocked down again."

A low rumble of laughter came from the fallen white and purple lizard. Frieza crawled back up to his feet, looking no worse than he did seconds ago. "My, my, my. The other idiot is back. At least now I won't have to chase you down before I kill you."

"I won't let that happen." Goku fell back into a fighting stance. "You're a murderer. Someone needs to bring you to justice."

"Whatever. I'm tired of you filthy monkeys getting in my way." Frieza grinned before punching Goku straight in the jaw. The Saiyan's head twisted to the left, the blow causing him to stumble back in pain. Freiza didn't let up. He sent another punch into Goku's stomach and then a swift kick into the Saiyan's knees. The black haired man kept backpedaling until Frieza grabbed him by the collar. "I know who you are. Stupid Saiyan monkeys thinking they can get the best of _me_. Me! I am the strongest being in the entire universe. And no pride or self-righteous duty can stop me. Fool."

Vegeta scrambled forward as Goku's body was tossed through the air, colliding with the Saiyan prince's. "Idiot." Vegeta maneuvered Goku's body back to a standing position. He snarled at the younger Saiyan and then turned back to the monster. "You don't stand a chance against him, Kakarot!"

"Huh...then neither do you."

The Saiyan prince hid his urge to knock Goku back to the ground. "Don't fucking talk to me that way! I will..."

"We don't have time to argue with each other, Vegeta." Goku nudged his chin upward. Frieza was simply hovering the ground above them, arms crossed, white fingers tapping restlessly. But the younger Saiyan's eyes left Frieza's for a moment to look back to Vegeta. He heavily started panting. "We're about the same in strength."

"Then why are you huffing and puffing like an..." Vegeta stopped suddenly at Goku's slight smile. The moron was not such a moron. He needed a way to talk to Vegeta, and he actually took the risk of getting beaten up by Frieza in the slight chance the alien would wait for him to get up and fight again.

Frieza himself seemed to answer the prince's guess. "You Saiyans tire out too easily. Catch your breath quickly. I still have some more fun planned."

The area remained silent around them except for Goku's staggered breath. Vegeta quickly edged up to the other Saiyan. "Kakarot, Bulma is still around here. We need to get her out of here."

"I need to talk to you, Vegeta."

"What the fuck do you think we're doing right now? You managed to trick Frieza for a second, but soon he'll be bored and want to kill us."

Goku shrugged, "Then let's not let him."

_What is wrong with him?_

It was rare that Vegeta didn't understand a fighter. Even Frieza he could read. He knew the monster had an insane ego, that he thrived off taunting and belittling his enemy until he eventually got bored. Nappa was a brute with no brain, and Raditz had a surprising amount of strength but too many emotions to keep his head clear. But Kakarot? He didn't know what the Saiyan was thinking. He seemed moronic and weak at first glance, but Vegeta was slowly coming to realize that Goku had a set of tactics all of his own. And that they were brilliant.

"We need to work together, Vegeta. Together we can defeat him."

Vegeta snarled, "He tossed both of us aside like rag dolls. We need more than just 'teamwork', Kakarot. Don't be naïve." He paused for a second and then looked back at the horizon. "I need to get Bulma out of here."

"You love her, don't you?"

The words threw him again. Love. How was he supposed to know anything about love? Abandoned at 5, tortured for another 24 years. He knew nothing of that emotion, of any emotion that wasn't pride or pain. But his own words surprised him, "I don't have time to figure that out now."

"I was the same way, you know. Love to me meant food. Marriage meant food. Heck, I thought everything was food back..."

_Imbecile. _"Kakarot, Frieza will want us to engage him again. We can discuss your emotional inadequacies another time." Vegeta paused, "Actually, never bring up the issue again. I doubt I want to hear it no matter how much free time I have."

Goku grinned and stretched, straightening out his back. "I'll get Bulma and the others to the spaceship. I know where it is."

"Make them leave."

"Of course. My son's going to be with them." Goku cracked a fist and then sighed. "You sense it too, don't you?"

He did. Vegeta knew something was going to happen. Frieza wasn't killing enough people, which was never good. On purges, the overlord would make it his duty to see that every single living presence on the planet was eliminated. But there were Namekians still alive. There were _too_ _many_ Namekians alive. _What's he planning?_

Normally, Vegeta would figure Frieza was just planning to blow the whole planet to kingdom come. It wouldn't be the first time the alien had opted for that route of genocide. But then there were the dragon balls. Vegeta knew Frieza wanted them, but he couldn't make a wish if he destroyed the objects that could grant it.

"Kakarot, I will be able to hold my own against Frieza. You get her out."

The idiot was still smiling. He was planning something, but what, Vegeta had no idea. "At least let me help you hurt him a little first. I got one good shot in. Let me try to get another."

_He really is a Saiyan. _

Vegeta knew Goku had probably never fought someone as powerful as Frieza was, and that he was probably excited by the challenge. The third class continued, "What do you say, Vegeta?" He held out his hand, "Double team him?"

The prince ignored the hand gesture but gave a slight nod in affirmation. This would be interesting.

* * *

She couldn't sit down unless someone physically strapped her to a chair. Her mind veered from any type of coherent thought, overwhelmed with the knowledge that Vegeta could be dead any second. And it wasn't like she had the best moment ever with the Saiyan prince before he went to face his mortal enemy.

He just stared at her. Like a dead fish. Like she was speaking in a completely different language or was saying nothing at all. No response. No, 'I don't love you'. Or a 'thank you'. Or a 'stop being an idiot woman and go cook for me'. Nothing.

Vegeta had just looked at her, and although she knew why, Bulma still couldn't help but feel hurt. _What were you expecting?_

He knew the physical things just fine. She had no doubt about that. He wasn't afraid to accept that he liked her. He did like her. Vegeta wanted to be a part of her life, and the thought of that made her feel completely giddy.

Yet, at the same time she was terrified. Bulma wasn't an easy person to be around, and she knew that. She was bossy and needy and easily agitated. Yamcha, when not staring at other girls, was the ideal boyfriend. He loved her, had the capacity to protect her from basically any non-alien being, and even started to rival her income with his up and coming baseball career.

Vegeta had nothing. Not that she was that shallow enough to care about jobs or his career path, but she wondered why she didn't care. Bulma could care less about what he'd do on Earth. She just wanted him to get there.

_Is this unhealthy?_

She didn't want to fall head over heels for someone so emotionally unavailable. What if she did want to get married one day? And have kids?

Thoughts of her mom came running back. How could she make the suggestion of her and Yamcha having kids? Psh, it was laughable. That woman wanted grandchildren more than anything, and as her only child, Bulma had the duty of fulfilling that dream. Okay, maybe it wasn't so much of a duty. She'd bet her children would be super cute.

_Vegeta would probably have angry looking babies. _ Bulma giggled at the thought. She'd really want to see that some day.

"Goku's with them now." Krillin went by her side, the news immediately stopping Bulma's pacing. Her mood significantly brightened at that. There was no enemy Goku couldn't take on. They could do it. The two Saiyans could kill Frieza together.

"That's excellent." Her voice still sounded kind of depressed though. Hm. She didn't like that.

Krillin seemed to notice it as well. The shorter man gave an uneasy smile, "I bet he does too."

Her blue eyebrows arched up at the words. Bulma spun around, "What?"

"You know...I bet he loves you too."

For a second, she had forgotten the battle Yamcha was tracking in the distance. She grabbed Krillin by his orange, Kame gi and gave him a deathly glare. "What? You heard that?"

"...umm...you were speaking kind of loud."

She flushed and let go of the fighter before falling to the ground, embarrassed. "Great. Now everyone knows I'm an idiot."

"Idiot?"

"Oh come on Krillin. I bet you guys will be going on for years about how stupid Bulma was, always falling for the bad boys that don't know how to express how they feel." She saw Yamcha turn his head at this and quickly recovered. "No offense, Yamcha."

The bandit shrugged and turned his head back in the direction of the fight. Krillin laughed, "Well, I hope we _have_ years to make fun of you over that."

Bulma's blue eyes became piercing. "Not funny."

"Come on, Bulma. I don't see what you're so concerned about. The guy has obviously fallen for you." This surprisingly came from Yamcha.

Bulma tangled a finger through her hair, "You really think so?"

"I think so." Krillin nodded, "I mean, he hasn't killed you when he seemed to really want to before. That's got to be a good sign."

She smacked the short fighter on the head. That was not comforting at all.

"Just the way he looks at you, Bulma. The way you look at each other. How much more do you want?" Yamcha added. "We haven't looked at each other like that in years."

There was no bitterness in his voice, just remembrance of an old memory. It seemed like their relationship had ended years ago, not days. And Bulma had the sad impression that maybe they were destined to end before they ever began. She sniffed. With that little wish she made all those years ago, they never stood a chance. "Thank you, Yamcha."

He shrugged and smiled in her direction. "No problem, Bulma."

"Plus, I think it's kind of cool." Krillin gave a much wider grin, but his comment confused her. He elaborated, "I mean, falling in love with an enemy...that's kind of..."

"Idiotic." Bulma muttered.

Krillin looked at her blankly, "I was going to say romantic."

"Oh please, Krillin."

"I'm being serious!"

"Well, when you fall in love with someone that once wanted to kill you and your friends and has the emotional capacity of a robot, let me know how _romantic _it is," Bulma huffed.

Krillin sighed and backed away from the blue heiress. "That's okay. You can keep Vegeta all to yourself."

"Hmph."

Yamcha suddenly turned back around, "Hey guys?"

She was not in a good mood. Bulma was ready to bite someone's head off, "What?"

But Yamcha's slightly worried expression stunned her back into silence. The bandit looked around furiously, "Where's Dende?"

* * *

Punches were thrown, half hitting the air and the other half actually making contact with Frieza's hard body. Goku was loving every second of it. Never had he fought anyone that seemed so unstoppable, and that spark in him wanted to become ablaze.

But one look in Vegeta's direction and the younger Saiyan knew he needed to suppress it. As much as he loved this battle, it wasn't truly his. Goku dodged the whip of Frieza's tail and then grabbed the appendage with both hands. In the split second Frieza turned to look back towards the Saiyan, Vegeta already had a punch arched towards the monster's cheek. The Saiyan prince was practically beaming with excited energy. He had finally caused Frieza to bleed.

"So you aren't invulnerable." Vegeta smirked and twisted his wrists, producing a cracking stretch noise. "That's good to know."

Frieza groaned in frustration and pulled his tail out of Goku's hand. He then whacked it into Goku's stomach, making the Saiyan lose air for a second. Goku grabbed his abs but quickly recovered. He just managed to escape a ki blast attack from the white lizard. _Man, this guy really is tough. _

Vegeta was no pushover either. Neither of them were. But it was still taking all of their energy combined to just keep up with Frieza. _If we keep going like this, we won't win. _Goku bit back the pessimistic thought. He couldn't let that happen, but he didn't have many tricks up his sleeve.

He only had two, actually. And one he knew Vegeta would hate him for. Which left the other one, which would also probably make Vegeta hate him. Goku nudged his head to the side, cueing Vegeta to dodge left when ready. He cupped his hands together and barely charged the blue ki energizing in his hands. "Kamehameha!"

It was a weak blast, but it managed still to shoot the demon back into the ground. Vegeta had phased away from the energy before contact and now floated beside his fellow Saiyan. The prince wiped the sweat crowning his forehead and then shot a flurry of smaller ki blasts into the crater where Frieza's body fell.

Goku breathed deeply, this time not faking any of his lost energy. "Kami, this guy's no pushover, huh?"

"It's time for you to take them to your ship, Kakarot." Vegeta was stolid and incredibly out of breath.

That worried Goku a bit. "You sure you can distract him?"

"Don't take too long."

"Got it." Goku began to fly away from his current position while Vegeta circled around Frieza like a vulture. He would need to move slowly in order to not grab Frieza's attention. That would be...

Goku's dark eyes widened when he saw Frieza quickly remove himself from the dented hole in the ground. He looked back towards the two Saiyans, snarled, and glanced off into the green sky. _What is he doing?_

"This has been fun. I must admit. You two have offered me a better fight then I have ever dreamed of, but I can't forget my original mission. That would be foolish."

_What?_ Goku looked over to Vegeta who was snarling in anger. "Fuck. The dragon balls."

The younger Saiyan became rigid as well. His friends had the dragon balls with him. But that didn't make sense. Frieza wouldn't know they had them. He had no radar that could detect them. _Then what is he after?_

Goku glanced to where Frieza's eyes were directed and he finally sensed a ki. _Dende? What is he doing? _ "He's not after her." Goku tried to calm Vegeta down. "But you have to follow him!"

"What are you talking about, Kakarot?" Vegeta was slowly losing patience. "He must know that Bulma..."

"Be quiet, Vegeta." Goku's rare rough tone stunned the other Saiyan. "Follow him, and I'll get to the others."

The cold demon's voice carried over to even their altitude, "But how long do you think it'll take for my wish? An hour maybe? That sounds about right." Frieza levitated in the air, rocks and other debris following him up. "Yes. I'll say an hour. Give you worms some time to scramble. If you manage to make it, I'll be sure to pay you a visit on Earth."

Goku became panicked and turned to Vegeta, "What's he saying? Vegeta..."

The other Saiyan was shooting towards Frieza, dread and fear incredibly evident in his energy signal. The tyrant just laughed and held up a finger, where a sudden small, orange ball was produced in the air.

"Vegeta!" Goku flew off screaming and slammed his body into the other Saiyan, knocking both of them back to the ground in a rough collision.

The orange, fiery ball seeped into Namek's surface, and before Goku could even look back to see Frieza's maniacal face, he was already gone.

"You fucking moron! Why did you do that?" Vegeta lashed out at him and aimed a punch right into Goku's nose. "I can't fucking believe you!"

"I just saved your life, Vegeta!" Goku rubbed his nose in pain, happy to see it wasn't broken. "He missed anyway."

Vegeta growled and shook his head. "No he didn't. That blast was meant for Namek. It'll be about an hour before it reaches this planet's core."

Goku froze. "You're saying..."

"Yes, Kakarot." Vegeta bit his lip and tore his head away from where Bulma's ki was sensed. "I can't let him get to Earth. This has to end here."

"We have to get out of here _now_, Vegeta."

"Go ahead and be a coward!" Vegeta screamed and started to fly. "I am not running away. But get them off of this rock."

Before Goku could say another word, Vegeta was already on Frieza's trail. The younger Saiyan sighed and quickly flew to where he sensed Krillin's, Yamcha's, and Bulma's ki. He had to put his plan into motion a little faster than he originally intended.

* * *

A/N:

Where's Dende going and why? What's Goku's plan? Who'll turn SSJ first?

I know :) and soon you will too! Thanks for reading!


	21. There is Light

A/N:

I went back and forth throughout writing this chapter, but it was still incredibly fun! Too excited to post this to go on and on, so let me just send out an amazing thanks to all of my wonderful, fabulous, perfect reviewers:

_kickstartmyhart, Asrae, SaytheSamurai, Marie Fortune _(thanks! also thanks for the 'Role Model' review as well!), _Eure_ (aw that's okay! thanks for last chapter's review!), _The Crystal Rose, 6teenana1 _(In canon, Bulma is actually concerned that baby Trunks looks too angry. I had to include it!), _The Random of Randomness_ (thanks so much! I'll continue writing after this story though, so no worries :D), _Cara2012_ (thanks for both your reviews! and you'll find out...)_, Manni19 _(ha, you'll see!), _mulayhna _(he's adorable), _ScoobyDoobyDee, KayuraK _(seriously, i can't stop smiling), _Many Voices In My Head_ (I'll try!), _Nicky757, BlueHairedSaiyan_ (you know what they say...Practice practice practice! and thanks so much!), _dyingdreamsv2 _(ha, we'll see about another sequel!), _joys, menga88 _(oh man...I'm not sure how long I can extend this story, but it _will_ have a solid ending, especially compared to _Make A Wish_), _betty69blue _(I tried with this one!), _Greendragonsheart_ (YES. i'm glad someone commented on Gohan and Piccolo! thanks thanks!), _reodavle _(wow thanks! I actually despise writing fight scenes, so that means a lot!), _taity _(that would be awesome...), _Smile For Me Please, MK08 _(thanks! glad you caught up!), _Drakulina _(Aw thanks! I just love their (B/V and Goku &Vegeta) dynamic!), _Naughty Cat (_thanks for both of your nice reviews!), sorrellkaren (I definitely plan to write more! Just don't know what yet...), _Death101-Fox Version _(aw, I wouldn't change them! And you'll find out where Dende went!), _ZombieChick422, Trixie-chan, Promethea99, Laania _(heart attacks and/or strokes aren't allowed!)_, _and _bimbosarahsurfchick _(you definitely succeeded in making me blush! The characters being...well in character, really means a lot to me! So thank you so much! PS. i love their bickering as well.)_  
_

Glad to see so many of you enjoyed the 18 reference. Ha, I managed to sneak in _two_ little futuristic comments in that last one. Sometimes I can't help myself!

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT. Especially not GT. There would be so many things that would be different if I did.

* * *

_There is Light_

There was nothing but silence.

The echoing blows of energy and bodies stopped so suddenly that Bulma felt herself cringe. The ground was shaking only moments ago, and it seemed that a dark cloud now tainted the sky, like ink in a puddle of green water. The area around her became fragmented. Spider web like cracks were starting to line the dusty part of the land.

That couldn't be good.

"What happened to them? Where's Vegeta?" Bulma looked between Yamcha and Krillin, but neither answered her question. They were looking instead at another person flying towards them, and Bulma immediately threw herself at the Saiyan. "Goku!"

The tall, dark haired man ignored her completely and simply pulled her over his shoulder. "Let's go."

Bulma hit him on the back, "Goku! What are you doing?" She was pissed, confused. No one handled her like this! Well, no one besides Vegeta, but Goku certainly wasn't allowed to. "What's wrong with you?"

The Saiyan ignored her once again. "Krillin, Yamcha, head back to the ship. Gohan and Piccolo should be there." Goku finally acknowledge her. "Bulma, do you still have the dragon balls?"

Her blue eyes widened. She had forgotten she was the one that took the dragon balls, tucking them away in a capsule that was now in her pocket. They still had one wish left to make to the eternal dragon. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"Give them to Krillin."

She huffed. "Can't exactly do that in our current position, Son."

"Oh, right." Goku carefully let Bulma back onto the ground, sighing out in frustration. There was obviously something bothering the Saiyan, perhaps something more than the threat of Frieza.

Bulma took the capsule from her pocket and tossed it over to Krillin. "Make sure no one gets that."

"I'll hand it over to the evil alien the first chance I get," Krillin sneered. "Come on, Bulma. But what are you planning on doing with them, Goku?"

"I need you to wish everyone except me and Vegeta back to Earth." Goku's voice was stern, unyielding. He was adamant about this decision, but it didn't stop Bulma from vehemently protesting.

"No, absolutely not. Do you realize all the things that are _wrong_ with that wish? It's almost as stupid as Vegeta's immortality obsession!" Bulma threw her hands up. She could not believe what she was hearing. "First of all, wishing everyone besides you and Vegeta back to Earth means that you're misplacing all of the living Namekians! Not to mention _Frieza_ himself!"

"Oh yeah!" Goku dropped his serious demeanor for a brief second, but quickly regained his stoic face. "Wish everyone back to Earth except for me, Vegeta, _and_ Frieza."

Krillin hesitated. "I don't understand, Goku. We're here to help you. Let us help..."

"No. You guys have to get out of here now." Goku pointed to the swirling clouds in the sky. It looked as if the dragon was about to be summoned again, which was impossible, since all seven dragon balls were in Krillin's hand. "Frieza sent a ki blast straight for this planet's core. He said we only have an hour before this whole planet explodes."

_What? _

Bulma's heart pounded, hurting her chest. She did not hear him correctly, did she? This planet was about to explode and there was a chance that her best friend and Vegeta were going to be trapped in the crossfire? No way. Not happening. Bulma bit her lower lip, infuriated with the hand life dealt her. "Are you serious? You intend to stay on this planet as it's about to explode? With Vegeta? Absolutely _not_, Son Goku! I won't have you both die on this planet." She felt something wet stinging her eyes, but she ignored it, too angry with the Saiyan in front of her. "You can't do that!"

"There's no other choice, Bulma. Please, trust me."

"No! I won't have you risk his life like this! He's been through enough, Goku. I want him safe!" She stomped her foot childishly on the floor extremely upset. An hour. They only had a hour to kill Frieza and get out. "You know my ship takes 30 minutes to start up safely."

Goku nodded and touched her shoulder calmly, "I know, Bulma."

"And that you're facing _Frieza_, killing _Frieza._ That won't be some five minute thing!"

"Then stop arguing and come with me."

Her mouth fell a bit at that, "Excuse me?"

"Why don't we all go back to Earth and let Frieza blow up with the planet?" Krillin asked.

Goku shook his head. "Won't work. Frieza can apparently survive in space, and as soon as he figures out all of us left and that the dragon balls are gone too, he'll be after us. He knows we're from Earth." The young man sighed, and Bulma saw the hint of worry in his dark eyes. He was thinking about his family, of Chichi and their little home in the mountains. Goku was probably thinking of Gohan, who had seen more death and pain than any fifty year old should see, never mind a five-year-old boy. They couldn't lead the monster back to Earth, not without trying to kill him here first.

"Who'll grant the wish, Goku?" Bulma was losing ground. She hated this, absolutely abhorred everything about this plan. But what else could they do? As much as she wanted to believe she could help, she didn't have any power. She didn't have a lab or some invention that could kill Frieza. Bulma was useless to them, and she hated that feeling.

"Piccolo can."

She huffed, more upset with the situation than her long time friend. "Piccolo is from Earth. I doubt he knows how to speak Namekian when he only just got here."

"He's tied to Kami, Bulma." Goku placed his other hand on her, rubbing her arms in concern. "Hey, you need to trust me on this. I'll take care of everything. After all that we've been through, don't you have faith in me?"

Bulma smiled despite herself. It was incredibly hard to believe that this was the same Goku who called her a witch, the same little boy in the woods that she had once hit with her car. When she lowered her head, sheets of blue hair swallowed her face. This was a complete disaster, and a part of her felt it was her fault. It was her wish that probably reminded Raditz of Earth, that led to this dangerous unfolding of twisted events. Things weren't supposed to be like this, were they? Yes, she wanted adventure, but self-destructing planets that threatened to kill two of the most important men in her life was just unimaginable. Terrifying.

All of her rational thought screamed that it was impossible for everyone to live through this, but Bulma found herself nodding. "I do, Goku."

"Then please come with me." Goku grabbed her around the waist at her next nod and then waved off to Yamcha and Krillin. "Get started guys. Don't let Gohan come back and fight. I know he'll want to."

"I don't know what you're doing, Goku...but I hope it works." Krillin gripped the capsule tightly in his hands.

The Saiyan smiled and flew off, Bulma in tow, barely whispering, "So do I."

* * *

"I don't understand."

"What's so confusing?"

"I guess I just don't get why your daddy was so evil."

Piccolo crossed his arms at the half-Saiyan's question and sat on the ground. "Forget it, Gohan. These things don't matter."

Gohan shrugged and unraveled his tail, feeling comfortable despite their surroundings. "We're going back to Earth soon, aren't we?"

There was no answer from the Namekian next to him. Piccolo seemed engaged with his own thoughts. And he even started mumbling to himself. "Yes...I understand." He nodded his head, and Gohan blinked. Maybe Piccolo was crazier than he originally thought.

"...um, Mr. Piccolo?"

"I'll do it." The Namekian stood up and gestured for Gohan to follow. His attention seemed to be finally back on the half-Saiyan, "We are going back to Earth very soon."

"Who were you talking to, Mr. Piccolo?"

"King Kai. He was listening in on your father's plan to use the dragon balls to send us all back to Earth."

That didn't make any sense. Why would his father want to waste a wish on that? "I don't understand..."

"I thought you were smart, Gohan." Piccolo walked over to the front door of the spaceship, opening it to reveal the blackening sky, the vibrating plains. "Feel the planet..."

Gohan blinked, "...I can't do that."

"There's something in the ground."

His dark eyes grew when he picked up a faint energy signal. "...a ki blast."

"Not just a ki blast."

"Mr. Piccolo?"

The Namekian led him outside completely and coughed. "Gohan, it's night time on Earth."

"Are you telling me to take a nap, Mr. Piccolo?"

He grunted at the childish request. "Your tail will be a problem with the full moon."

The furry limb wrapped around his torso once again, understanding the true meaning behind those words. "I can control that, Mr. Piccolo. Uncle Vegeta taught me how to."

"It'll be a disturbance to the population, Gohan." His head shot up at a memory, and the green alien quickly went inside the ship, leaving Gohan outside. He wasn't sure what was going on exactly. The planet seemed almost angry. A small, yet powerful blast of energy was currently burying itself under Namek's skin, consuming its life force.

His small head turned around as he felt Piccolo return with Raditz's body. The small boy walked forward, "What are you doing?"

"Someone needs to hold on to him while we grant the wish. He can't stay here."

"What's happening to Namek, Mr. Piccolo?"

He ignored the question and sat Raditz flat on the ground. With one clean cut, Piccolo removed the tail from Raditz's body and held out his green hand over the wound, burning the nerve endings. "He did not learn how to control such a form, did he?"

Gohan watched on, confused and a little angry. "What are you doing?"

"You need to let me remove your tail, Gohan. Yes, you can think, but that side of your conscience is completely Saiyan. King Kai warned me of this. You won't kill your family or allies, but that won't stop you from harming the planet."

"But I..." He stood strong, shaking his head. "I like my tail."

"It's a liability as well. A weakness."

Gohan shook his head, "You can train it so you can't feel any..."

"Have you completed this training, Gohan?"

He flinched under Piccolo's unnerving gaze. "No..."

"Then we can't risk any weakness. Your power lies within you, not in your transformation. If Frieza comes to Earth, we won't have the opportunity to train you how to master your tail. You'll have much worse things to worry about."

Gohan didn't like what Piccolo was implying. If Frieza ever managed to get to Earth, that would mean that his father and Vegeta had failed, and he couldn't picture that. He also couldn't deny the Namekian's logic. "...Just make it quick, please."

He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for the excruciating pain to follow but felt nothing. Gohan heard the crash of his tail on the ground. He opened an eye, "That's it?"

"I wasn't trying to induce any pain. It was a clean cut, though I probably could have caused you some serious harm."

Gohan nodded his head. That was what happened to Vegeta.

"Now you can blend in with the other Earthlings as well, in case you ever decide to associate more with them." Piccolo turned his head up to the sky, "Speaking of the other Earthlings..."

Yamcha and Krillin landed in front of the two, and Krillin quickly un-capsulated the seven dragon balls. They reacted from one another, immediately glowing a bright orange. "Hey guys. Can't chat, but basically..."

Piccolo stopped Krillin's rambling. "I know. King Kai already told me. He'll inform me when Goku has completed his plan."

That was when Gohan noticed, "Where's my dad? And Uncle Vegeta? And Bulma?"

Yamcha sighed, "Look, kid..."

"They're occupying Frieza while we make the wish. When we make the wish, they'll be transported back to Earth as well, no matter their location." He narrowed his eyes at Krillin and Yamcha, but neither rebutted his words.

"Oh, okay then." Gohan sat down, cross-legged on the floor. He missed the feeling of his tail behind him, but Mr. Piccolo was right. It did make him feel a little more normal. Uneasiness swept through his body, and he concentrated his vision on the dragon balls in front of them. In the darkness of the planet's sky, the glow they produced was almost hypnotic. They were shaking slightly, so quickly that he would have missed it if he hadn't been looking so closely at them. He knew something big was about to happen, and a part of him was upset that he wouldn't get to see it.

* * *

"Lord Guru."

The larger Namekian looked up from his throne, unsurprised yet upset at the intruder. "Dende, why are you here?"

"...You're dying. I could sense it..." The small green alien approached his father carefully, head falling when he heard the chest crushing cough escape the elder's mouth. "I thought I could heal you..."

"Dende, you risked a lot coming here. You are right. I am dying."

His face became startled at the easy confession. "Then please, Great Elder, let me help you."

The giant Namekian shook his head. His deep wrinkles lining his forehead seemed to deepen as another cough echoed through the large room. "I have accepted my fate. Namekian healing powers can only go so far. I'm afraid my time has come." He raised his hand, "Do not worry about the dragon balls, Dende."

It was then Dende noticed the other Namekian in the room, "Elder Moori!"

"Moori will be the new great elder. I am giving him control over the dragon balls. They will grant the Earthling's wish."

Dende blinked, "Wish? What..."

All three Namekians turned towards the doorway at the large ki present. The smallest one froze and backpedaled at Frieza's astounding force. The white, purple figure walked forward, indenting the ground with easy steps. He sniveled his purple lips, "I recognized you, scum. You were there at the first village with the dragon ball." His red eyes flashed from the boy back up to the Namekians. "Your planet is dying. Show me where they are and I may remove the damage."

It was easy to tell Frieza was lying, but Dende slowly nodded anyway. Namek, his home, he could feel it suffering, the unbearable pain crawling towards its core. But Dende needed to get the monster away from the two elders. Within them held the future of a new home. "Please, sir, follow me."

* * *

Bulma had been silent with him through the air, not that he hadn't expected that. From what he remembered of her back when she was a teenager, she had always been kind of temperamental, and although she had matured over the years, she wasn't beyond her fits just yet. Not that he could exactly blame her for being upset. The news he had just dropped on her was kind of unsettling. Very unsettling.

"I know this must be a lot to take in."

She didn't reply directly, and Goku sighed. He was doing all he could. This was the best possible option his mind could think of, and as much as he would have loved to take out Frieza on his own, he wasn't sure if he could harness all the power he needed. He kept his trigger, all that anger, all those painful moments and deaths of his loved ones, buried inside his spirit, but he wasn't exactly positive that he could just get it out. It might take time, and he only had less than an hour.

Vegeta could help him. Or he could possibly help Vegeta, just like he originally promised. He turned back to Bulma, who despite her avoidance of him verbally, was still gripping to his body tightly. "You need to follow along with what I have planned, okay Bulma?"

She dimly nodded and raised her head to place on the shoulder of the Saiyan armor. "I like your new clothes, Goku."

"I'll take care of him, Bulma."

"He's wanted this for so long. That monster...he's been..."

"Just relax." He tried to keep his voice calm, but he didn't know how this would all work out in the end. His plan was reliant on something he didn't fully understand, just a guess, a hunch. And if that worked, who was to say it would even be enough?

Her small hands tightened around him. "...last time you wished me away, it broke him."

Goku looked down at her at that statement. He had always thought they had helped Bulma back then. She was whisked away so suddenly that it was scary. "I thought you needed to be saved."

"Not really."

"You could have asked us to wish Vegeta back with you."

"I've thought of that."

He wondered why she hadn't. Maybe because of Yamcha. Maybe because of the risk of Frieza finding him or Vegeta himself being unable to assimilate to the relatively peaceful culture of Earth. It wasn't something for Goku to think about so he didn't.

Bulma was waiting for him to comfort her, for Goku to say that he wouldn't let Vegeta be hurt again, but he didn't say anything to counter that thought. The Saiyan raised his head against the wind when he spotted Vegeta's ki, only a couple of miles away from where Frieza was flying.

_This better work._

He diverted from Vegeta's trail, using a large sum of energy to overtake him. Bulma noticed the sudden change in direction. "Goku, can you explain what we're doing? Or maybe...where we're going?"

"No more questions, Bulma. Please."

She huffed at his uncharacteristically abrupt response, but Goku paid it no heed. He didn't know how'd ever explain that he was planning on killing her.

* * *

"Fuck, he stopped."

Vegeta tore through the sky quickly, but it wasn't enough. The small Namekian child and Frieza had a little bit of a head start, and the Saiyan prince needed to conserve a large portion of his energy. He didn't want to risk wasting his ki on flying only to be weak when he faced the devil again. Vegeta didn't understand though why Frieza had stopped. His ki was still for about a minute, and then he vaulted off again, chasing the Namekian across the green-blue landscape.

_Where is he going?_

Bulma had the dragon balls, and Bulma was currently safe among the other humans, as far as she could possibly be from Frieza. He only hoped the woman wouldn't put up too much of a fight. Goku could be a little too yielding to his friends. But even the seemingly idiotic Saiyan understood the importance of keeping his friends safe. Vegeta was the last person that needed to tell him that.

The Namekian stopped again, a little further away, and Frieza followed suit. He was almost there, he could feel the two kis rising and rising and then...

Vegeta blinked, stopping midair.

There were two other kis there, not including the two Namekian ones he had passed moments ago and Frieza and the child in front of him. _What the fuck is Kakarot..._

Flashes of lightning shone throughout the sky. Cliffs started collapsing next to him, crumbling like dried out sand. This world was ending. He had seen it many times before, but never while still on the planet. The rumbles from the belly of Namek were almost deafening. Vegeta immediately turned from the kis he was tracking to see an astounding ray of light funnel in the distance.

His heart immediately calmed. The dragon had been summoned. Bulma would be nowhere near this hellhole when it finally imploded. _Good._

That was one less thing he needed to worry about. Vegeta sped against the wind again. The two other energy signals...they bothered him. One was obviously suppressed and probably belonged to Goku. But the other...

It was weak. Familiar. And he nearly screamed realizing who it was.

The damnable woman _had_ to insist on coming! She didn't trust him? Was she that moronic to think that she could possibly be an asset in this condition!

"Damn it!" His ki spiked, aura almost shifting from blue to yellow. He was so close to her...he could feel her nearby.

Kakarot, the undeniable, insufferable, moron, was bringing her _closer_ to Frieza. They were approaching him faster and faster. How did he ever let him pass him? How could he have not noticed that he was bringing her here? He should have known she would have done such an idiotic stunt! He should have realized the woman would...

An incredible energy blast soared through the dark sky, looking almost black, maybe dark blue or purple in the dim light. His mouth was dry when he realized he didn't know who fired. Like it fucking mattered. This was the start of the battle and Bulma was there.

He flew wildly until he finally saw Frieza and Goku squaring off on the cracked land beneath him. "Kakarot!" He screamed, ignoring Frieza completely. He couldn't sense her. He couldn't fucking feel her! "Kakarot, where is she! What..."

"Back again, Vegeta?"

He growled before turning towards the alien, "You. Shut the fuck up. I will get to ripping out your throat, but first I need to find out where the hell she is!" Vegeta felt perfectly livid, fire and pure energy channeling through every single muscle in his body.

Never had he felt so furious, so agonizingly angry.

"Vegeta..." Goku raised his hands, but there was something wrong, distressing about how he looked.

It made Vegeta sick. "What happened?" He tried to keep his voice low, but his anger flowed, even through his voice.

"Vegeta..."

"WHAT HAPPENED, KAKAROT?"

The air immediately picked up, levitating giant rocks from the demolished plateaus. Frieza widened his eyes in surprise, but Goku...what the hell was wrong with him! He seemed to be almost smiling.

"Bulma's dead."

For a brief moment, his aura completely vanished, and Goku's face contorted in disappointment. Vegeta couldn't think straight. He couldn't even hear or feel the world surrounding him start to disappear.

For all he cared, it was already gone.

"You're not being serious."

Goku walked forward, one eye on Frieza. "I'm sorry..."

Vegeta vanished in front of him, muscles clenched. "Don't even try to apologize to me! Do you understand what just happened? You caused her to die! You brought her here, and that monster turned her into...turned her..." He formed a fist and punched Goku in the cheek. The younger Saiyan surprisingly flew back, yards away from his original position.

Frieza whipped his tail behind him. "You monkeys sure are entertaining. But are you sure you want to waste so much time arguing amongst yourselves? The clock is tick, tick, ticking..."

The Saiyan prince ignored the cruel voice, the voice that haunted him ever since he was a child.

_Bulma._

This couldn't be happening. They were so fucking close! She was supposed to be safe, on her stupid backwater planet! Not here. She wasn't supposed to be fighting his battles! Damn it! "Kakarot! I'm not done with you!"

"Vegeta, please!" Goku scrambled to his feet, still looking unsatisfied. "I need you to listen to me!"

He wanted to tear the other Saiyan's head off. How did he expect him to listen?

"Look, Vegeta. The Super Saiyan. I know how to do it. I've done it. Look." Goku stepped back, seemingly ignoring Vegeta's tangible rage.

Curiosity, if anything, made him stand and watch as Goku closed his eyes. The younger Saiyan was concentrating, reaching in himself for the legendary power. His ki flickered, and Vegeta could almost feel Goku's pain release. There was gold seeming to bloom from the body before him, and he immediately scowled.

"No!"

This was completely wrong. His heart swarmed, head on fire. He could feel every piece of his body expand and scream, almost as if he would burst. And within him, there was a familiar emotion powering all of this, one that he could barely control.

Anger.

He was angry, insatiably furious. Bulma was dead. He had let her die at the hands of the one being in this universe that he hated the most. He was supposed to protect her from him, and now she was dead, ki undetectable, pure ash from a ki attack.

She had loved him. The one person that ever dared mouth those words to him was now gone before they even had a chance. He'd never again touch her blue hair or see her beautiful, otherworldly eyes. She was gone, and with her, a part of his soul was ripped out.

And now _this_.

His birthright, his power, his destiny was being ripped away from him by the very man that risked his woman's life.

Vegeta scowled mercilessly. The energy around him was killing him. His pores burned, sweat dripping down and evaporating over every inch of his skin. His body was going to explode, and there was nothing stopping him.

When his breath completely left, he could only see gold light in front of him. It was so bright in the shroud of darkness, so powerful compared to Goku's blue aura in front of him.

He was enraged, voice still rough, "Kakarot..." At the last moment, he felt his body almost tear to shreds, but now...now there was an incredible surge of power igniting in him.

Goku smiled, "Good, you did it. That's a relief."

_What?_

There was something incredibly primal awakened within him. He felt bloodthirsty, vengeful, but he knew he shouldn't be taking this weird sensational power out on the other Saiyan in front of him. Especially when he was speaking in fucking riddles.

"Incredible, wow. Your ki is through the roof. Not sure how I feel about the hair though, but maybe I won't look like..."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Vegeta approached him, and Goku edged back.

Frieza screamed to the left of them. "WHAT IS THIS?"

Vegeta turned towards the tyrant but didn't know what to say. He didn't understand what was happening, too obsessed with his rage, his undying fury.

"This?" Goku walked next to Frieza and shot Vegeta a smirk. "I think it's called the Super Saiyan."

_...what?_

"And if you don't mind, Vegeta, I think I'd like to give my theory a try now."

He was too dumbfounded to reply. This power in his body was amazing. He had never felt anything like it, nothing even _close _to it before. Vegeta watched as Goku screamed, that yellow ki from before completely swarming around his body in flashes of brilliant strength. His once out of control, black hair was now glowing. It straightened up in vertical spikes in a bright yellow light. Goku opened his eyes, revealing green instead of black. "This is it."

The younger Saiyan turned to Frieza who was sweating in fear. Frieza's beady eyes looked wounded, terrified. "Wh-what...How?"

Goku smiled and crossed his arms. "You'll pay for killing my brother, for hurting my son, for putting all of my friends in danger!" His ki increased, wind howling passed both Saiyans. "_This_ is what happens when you're pure of heart and awakened by rage."

The alien shook his head and glanced to Vegeta. "Th-that can't be! The stupid monkey prince's heart isn't pure at all!"

He smirked before matching Goku's power level with a typhoon of energy. Vegeta smiled, relished, in Frieza's growing terror. "You're right." He vanished, rematerializing in front of Frieza's face. Faster than he could ever imagine, a gold-energy hand wrapped around Frieza's neck. "I'm just pure rage."

* * *

A/N:

That was exciting! Well, I think so. Tell me what you think!

Until next (and maybe last D:) time!


	22. Second Homecoming

A/N:

I don't mean to be a cruel author, really! I had wisdom teeth surgery last week and my recovery time was unexpectedly long. I hope you don't mind this late update, but I thought me writing the last chapter of my baby would have been not good while on pain medication.

That being said, yes, I believe this is the last chapter. Yes, I am currently very sad and don't know what to do. Yes, there will be an epilogue (I have it all planned out). As for all of you asking about a sequel, I am not sure it would be too interesting. I could summarize how the Cell Saga and Majin Buu Saga could go...but I think it might be boring.

That being said (again), I want to thank all of my reviewers and readers for being absolutely amazing this past year. My goodness. I never imagined the DBZ fandom would be so welcoming and positive, and I am so incredibly grateful for all of your feedback and for sticking it out with me these past several months. I am thrilled to have written for you, and I hope you enjoyed my writing as much as I enjoyed telling my story. I love DBZ so much, and it has been a wonderful experience writing for all of you. I am astounded and honored by the sheer magnitude and quality of the reviews you have given me. Thank you all so much! AH!

Special thanks to Chapter 21's reviewers:

_Death101-Fox Version_ (Well, Goku can still go SSJ after Krillin gets resurrected! So I think Vegeta should be alright.), _daughterofrisingsun, Drakulina, betty69blue, grumpirah, Nicky757_, _johncorn, Laania, PerfectLover, 6teenana1, ScoobyDoobyDee, Promethea999, Black Diamond07, LunarJade, Niko08, Marie Fortune (_Well thank you :D), _tallshorty, Many Voices In My Head _(Oh, I want to see Trunks included too. Don't you worry about that)_, (unsigned review), Eure, dyingdreamsv2, taity_ (Sorry to tell you, but Vegeta lost his tail in Chapter 13), _The Crystal Rose _(Goku's secretly a genius in my mind, ha), _KayuraK _(1. You'll see soon! 2. Well...technically he was born on Earth...3. Epilogue is a necessity!), _BlueHairedSaiyan, Wishiwasbulmasobad _(If you get a ff account, I'll gladly help you through PM!), _yourheartspeaksthetruth_ (thanks so much. your review makes me smile every time I read it!), _MK08 _(aw, I love Gohan.), _Cara2012 _(I just think the tails would be hard for them to assimilate. I hope you won't be too sad D: In my mind, I'm picturing Videl thinking Gohan has some 'weird accessory' to make him look cool...), _Renae724, joys, Dbz is just too interesting _(thanks!), _omgOver9000_ (hehe, there's always a plan!), _Trixie-chan_ (thanks!), _Haw Resf _(thanks for both of your motivating reviews!), _Naughty Cat _(Glad you liked 'wicked' Goku), _Sasse1892_ (Hope you were waiting too long! And the epilogue will cover a little after), _xamss _(thanks so much!), _Vegetafreak96, SelfInfatuated_ (it's okay! special thanks for reviewing now :D), and _Rawrness_ (Hopefully you're not dead!).

.

Oh warning. I hope Vegeta isn't OOC to some of you. I think after all the events that happened in this AU (including _Make A Wish_), that his emotional responses are appropriate. We shall see.

I wouldn't end this story any other way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or Dragon Ball GT. AU plot is mine.

* * *

_Second Homecoming_

"_Don't think about it too much."_

_He looked at his father in slight annoyance. Saying not to think about it just made him think about it more, of course. How could he not? _

_The little prince turned from the doorway, glancing at the armor by his bedside. His dark eyes turned over every corner of the room. He needed to memorize every inch of space, every detail-every contour of his dark wooden furniture, every thread in the dark tapestries that hung on his wall and on his floor. A flag of the familiar red icon of Vegeta -sei hung above his small bed. It was echoed on his armor's chest plate._

"_Are you ready, Vegeta?"_

_He slipped the white armor over his small frame and attached his red cape. He loved this suit, more than his young mind probably understood. That one garment held everything within its hard bindings. "Yes."_

_Vegeta-sei was thousands of miles away within hours. Outside the space station, it was nothing more than a distant red star, bloodied with memories and events he thought would happen but would never live. _

_Nappa was with him, but Nappa was nothing. A body guard, maybe. A reminder of a Saiyan adulthood Vegeta would never experience..._

He was battered by Frieza's henchman, haunted by ghosts. He hated everything about his life-if he could even call it that. After ten years of being nothing but a slave, he felt his mind cave to defeat. He was becoming subservient. Until she came.

She reminded him of who he was: a prince. Not some common soldier or pet monkey. Vegeta was supposed to regain his throne and avenge his people. And now was his moment.

He never felt anything like this before. Pure power. That was what was flowing through his veins. Power, fury, rage, and revenge. Especially revenge. He wanted to squeeze Frieza's neck clear off, have him asphyxiate so slowly, that he would continue to feel the suffocating vice of the Saiyan prince's hands through death.

His whole body felt like exploding. _This is it._ He couldn't help but smile. Vegeta let loose a wide grin at the alien he was currently choking. "How does it feel, Frieza?"

He pushed the demon away from his hand and let the white body collapse on the ground, struggling for air. Vegeta hovered lightly, now green eyes never tearing away from the enemy on the ground. His voice was heartless, "Tell me how it feels to die by someone you thought was weaker than you- by a stupid _monkey_."

Frieza wiped the blood forming by his mouth. He looked to his sides where the two Super Saiyans flanked him. "You are nothing! I will crush both of you!"

"Please, Frieza. You have no pride left to defend." Vegeta clenched his fists, practically breaking through the hard layer of his white gloves. "Don't even bother sounding courageous, not when you're so obviously shaking with fear. This is why you destroyed my whole race in the first place, isn't it?" Vegeta gestured to Goku and then to himself, self-important smirk still growing. "Super Saiyans. Hmph, seems to be a little more than a fairy tale."

The overwhelming fear spreading through the tyrant's body was a little bit more than satisfying to Vegeta. Watching him squirm on the ground, fear ablaze in his eyes, it was what he had always wanted-what he had been trying to reach for over two decades.

Whoever said revenge wasn't sweet obviously hadn't succeeded in it.

Everything Frieza did seemed slower, muddied and ungraceful. Vegeta watched as the alien attempted to shoot a barrage of finger beams towards each of the Saiyans. The red lights fell lazily to Vegeta's side. He hadn't bothered moving. The once devastating ki blasts felt like pin pricks on his cheeks. Vegeta crossed his arms and glanced to Goku on the other side of Frieza. The other Saiyan seemed equally unaffected. Goku held out a hand, "Go for it."

He didn't have to say it twice.

Vegeta launched his own flurry of yellow blasts, and Frieza reacted in panic. The monster dashed around in desperate movements, barely dodging the energy balls Vegeta had unleashed. "Pathetic, really."

Frieza was panting, hands on his knees. "YOU WILL PAY!"

"He's a lot of talk, isn't he Vegeta?" Goku crossed his arms and smiled. "_All_ talk, really. We should have taken you out earlier."

"Stop it! Stop it! You two don't know anything! Just a bunch of idiot monkeys!" Veins appeared on Frieza's neck and forehead. "I will show you true power! This Super Saiyan is nothing more than a cheap trick!"

Goku edged up at the words and quickly walked to Vegeta's side. Frieza was concentrating hard, and the younger Saiyan could feel his power grow. "End this now, Vegeta."

"I want him to have no options." Vegeta watched in eager.

"What? We don't have time for that! This planet will..."

"SO WHAT?" Vegeta turned to the other Saiyan, yellow aura igniting even more. "He will be dead before this hour ends and so will I. This planet will explode, yes, but what do I care? Tell me what is left after this!"

Goku hesitated, shocked at what the Saiyan prince was saying to him. "What do you mean?"

"Figure it the fuck out, Kakarot."

"You can't...I mean, I can't..."

"You are free to leave whenever you want." Vegeta raised his hands. "By all means, leave right now. Go tell your son everything is okay. Go back to your stupid planet and your mate. I will die here."

There would be nothing left for him in this universe. Perhaps he could destroy whatever remnants of the Cold Empire remained, but the ghosts would haunt him before then. He would forever feel her hair between his fingers, her breath against his skin. "You think that this is good enough?" He felt ridiculous for asking this question, especially to Goku who had never experienced death before. But he had to know. He needed to find out.

"Good enough for what?"

"To be with her." His dark eyes glanced to Goku's confused face, and Vegeta grimaced. "Never mind. Forget this idiocy. This transformation is making my mind foolish."

"You mean for heaven, Vegeta?" Goku smiled. It looked twisted, not quite as lighthearted as it would have been if the younger Saiyan's hair were still black. "I do know a guy named Kami. Maybe he could put in a good word for you."

"Hmph. Here I was hoping as a blonde you'd be smarter."

Goku's smile grew and he seemed to want to say something more, but his green eyes widened as Frieza finished powering up. "What is this?"

"He's unleashing all of his latent power." Vegeta smirked. This was exactly what he wanted. "Aren't you, Frieza?"

The overlord's musculature had tripled in size, and his power level had also seemed to vastly increase. It was nothing, however, that Vegeta felt he should have been concerned with. "This." The icy voice sounded cocky, controlled. Frieza didn't yet realize how screwed he actually was. "This is me at 100% full power!"

"Charming." Vegeta blurred away from Goku and rammed his fist into Frieza's stomach, causing the alien to scoff up air.

Frieza fuddled back, holding his gut, and licking off the blood staining his purple lips. He snarled at the Saiyan in front of him and then managed to land a well-aimed kick at Vegeta's skull.

Fight or die.

It had been his mantra, changed only slightly. Train or die. Be quiet or die. Live or die. And he had always lived, never died. This would be no exception.

Vegeta gritted back the pain and punched Frieza in the face. His power up was certainly an increase in strength, yes, but it was nothing compared to the legendary power Vegeta had at his fingertips. He trailed closer to Frieza and punched the demon in the cheek. Frieza flew back feet, smashing hard into an already crumbling Namekian plateau. Namek quaked in recognition.

Time was running swiftly.

Red lava started jutting out from the cracks produced from earthquakes minutes before. Valleys and canyons formed in seconds, dark sky painting the land in a sickly, apocalyptic gleam. Vegeta had barely noticed. He only watched his enemy squirm.

"You're afraid , aren't you? I don't blame you." Vegeta let his yellow aura envelop him. "It's normal to be afraid right before you die. Let me make it quick then."

"Wait!"

Vegeta sneered and turned to the other Saiyan who was currently running up to both of them. Lightning cracked through the sky as Goku stood in front of Frieza, face stern. "I want him to tell me something."

"What could he possibly tell you that is of any significance, Kakarot?" They didn't have too much time left-10 maybe 20 minutes.

"About my father." Goku looked at Frieza's red eyes. The alien had stood up from the ground and sneered at the Saiyan in front of him.

"You look like him. He was weak and attempted to rebel against me. I killed him. So glad I could mutilate your brother too. You seem to be the last of your family. Well, and that pathetic child that was here," Frieza spat.

If Frieza had a visible nose, it would have broken from Goku's knuckles. The alien flinched, but held his ground as Goku shook with anger. "You don't deserve any mercy. I am a Saiyan born on Earth, but for my family, I will defeat you!"

"No you will not." Vegeta grabbed Goku roughly and dragged him away. "You. Get off this rock. I will kill him. He is mine."

"Vegeta..."

"Fuck Kakarot! You will not steal this from me! Leave!"

"I need to tell you something fir-"

Both Saiyans squirmed to the ground from the whip of Frieza's tail. Distracted, neither saw the impact coming, and they had to quickly scramble up to their feet. But not in time. Frieza had already launched a purple beam of energy straight towards the both of them, wide enough to catch Goku and Vegeta in its searing light.

It collided with both of their bodies, and Vegeta tasted blood in his mouth. That blast would have normally killed him, but as a Super Saiyan, he only felt slightly winded. Goku seemed no worse than he was. "Leave, now. He's desperate. This should be easy."

"But about Bulma."

He was getting frustrated with this constant chatter. What about Bulma? There was no more Bulma. Vegeta didn't need to think about it again. He didn't want to think about it again. "Just shut up and go, Kakarot. If you're feeling guilty about...just, be a true Saiyan and move on!"

"I'm not guilty."

Vegtea actually turned his head at that, the statement making the prince incredibly pissed. Not long after Vegeta looked away from Frieza had the white and purple alien sent another punch against Vegeta's gut and then grabbed the Saiyan prince from behind.

"Stupid monkeys never learn."

Vegeta smirked at the familiar statement. He paid no attention to the arms currently attempting to crush his back, even though he felt the slight tinges of pain. Concentrating his energy, Vegeta let go an energy blast from his body. The bruised, bloodied Frieza immediately flung back from the blast. Vegeta gestured to Frieza's fallen, panting body. "See, Kakarot? This is what I desire. His death. Do not worry about other things."

"You need to come back to Earth."

"I have no reason to go back. She's dead. There is nothing that can change that."

"But the dra..." Goku blinked and powered down, something immediately taking over all of his thoughts. He nodded his head, black bangs covering a large portion of his face. "Do you have a ship?"

"Yes. It should be about 50 miles east of here. You better hurry. Tell Gohan that he was..." Vegeta searched his mind for the right word. "...bearable."

"Hehe. Remind me to warn you before introducing you to my wife. She'll probably kill you for training him."

"You're assuming I'm heading back to Earth after all of this."

Goku only smiled and gave Vegeta a slight salute with his fingers. "See you soon."

"Goodbye, Kakarot."

Goku soon disappeared from the battleground without either Frieza or Vegeta following behind. Frieza, however, questioned the move. "Where is he going? Afraid of this planet's blast or from the suppressing vacuum of space?"

"Neither. I sent him away. No reason to embarrass you with the two of us ripping you to shreds. I'll be more than enough."

In an instant, both fighters were swinging punches and kicks midair. The land crackled under them, and soon rivers and lakes of lava replaced whatever water was on the planet. Everything was dying around them, but Vegeta never felt more alive. He dodged another punch and uppercutted Frieza in the jaw. The Saiyan prince then grabbed the tyrant's tail and catapulted Frieza to the ground. His white and purple body dented through layers and layers of black rock.

"I won't allow this planet the pleasure of finishing you." Vegeta wiped the few drips of blood from a cut cheek. He was barely wounded, not even close to being exhausted. And if this would be the way he were to die, then so be it. He would go out ablaze. "But I want you to fully understand. You are being defeated by a _Saiyan_. Now, now."

Vegeta grinned, incisors showing. "No need to cringe. All those years, all those days that I refuted your standing and explained who I am..." He let his power glow around him, everything around him illuminating gold. "There's no real reason to be _too_ ashamed. I am Prince Vegeta! Prince of All Saiyans! And _you_. You are nothing to me anymore!"

He held out both his hands, completely outstretched to his sides, and then cupped them together in front of his face. As he screamed, a bright yellow beam escaped from his gloves and enveloped Frieza in warm, deathly light. There was an agonizing scream from below and then nothing. No body. No, cold red eyes.

Frieza was dead.

Exhausted, Vegeta panted and felt his hair go back to black. His back fell hard on the broken Namekian ground, but he didn't bother moving. All he could do was smile. He had done it. It was over. He had avenged his people, avenged his own life, and now...

Namek quaked from underneath him, but Vegeta didn't bother to move. He hadn't ever done an attack like that before, and it exhausted his whole body, as did the transformation. He had been a Super Saiyan. He had killed Frieza. It was like a dream-only without the _exact_ ending he was hoping for.

_Maybe I'll see you there._

Though he had doubted that. How many families had he destroyed? He had killed too many people, destroyed too many worlds to ever be granted such a gift as seeing Bulma in the afterlife.

So he attempted to picture her now, in case he wasn't given the opportunity in death. Fires started blazing from the pits around him, a precursor for things to come certainly. But Vegeta closed his eyes away from the red flames to see blue, nothing but blue.

And in the heat of the darkness, he could feel his body lift and pinch together, as if the vacuum of space, not the explosion, would have the honor of taking the Saiyan prince's life.

* * *

He fell flat on his butt, the ground soft and sandy, the air thin and light, coloring his cheeks an immediate shade of light pink. _What...what just-_

This must have been it. Though he couldn't have imagined Hell to be an island. Perhaps that would be punishment enough. An eternity of his own isolation, in the middle of...

"Vegeta!"

Dazed, he turned around, not fully comprehending the voice he had just heard.

"Vegeta! Vegeta!"

There it was again. It was soft, feminine, and oh so very familiar. He recognized it instantly and dared himself to turn around to see her. "Bulma."

It was like he was seeing her again for the very first time. Her hair was loose and slightly wavy at the ends, and she wore her name on a simple pink t-shirt. She stood there for a second, mouth slightly open, and then bolted straight towards him, throwing herself into the Saiyan's arms. Vegeta squirmed from the contact. His ribs hurt from the battle beforehand, but he immediately pushed back the pain and gripped her harder. This had to be a dream. He nuzzled his nose against her neck. "Bulma..."

"You jerk!" Her voice sounded weak, and he could feel wet drips of tears fall on his neck. "Never do that to me again, you hear me? I thought you were..."

"I thought you were dead." He let go of her reluctantly and brushed a finger across her cheek. "Are we both..."

"Psh, no. Goku's smarter than he looks, huh?" She hugged him again and he reciprocated. "Hey! Not so tight! That sort of..."

He let his arms loosen, "Kakarot's a moron. Where is the idiot? To think that he could have even potentially..."

"Hey, Goku's my best friend, and as a new citizen of Earth, you're not allowed to hurt him. Got it mister?" Bulma poked him in the chest and then shrugged. "And it was sort of ingenious. He wanted to get you angry. And to think, you'd be so upset about little, old me..."

"Woman..." Vegeta growled."

Bulma smiled and grabbed his hand. "You did it, didn't you? I waited as long as I could. We only had an hour, you know, before the planet exploded."

Vegeta nodded, "Yes, Bulma. He's gone, and I was a Super Saiyan."

"Well, good. I always knew you could do it, didn't I? Maybe you can show me sometime." She winked and then dragged Vegeta to the other side of the pink house, where the other fighters stood patiently waiting. He recognized most of them, though the pig, cat thing, a young woman, and the old man were unknown to him.

Soon, a little boy came running to him and hugged his leg. "Uncle Vegeta!" Gohan screamed and gripped him tighter. "You're alright!"

Another Saiyan walked up to the prince and held out a hand. "Good to see you're okay, Vegeta."

"Raditz." Vegeta took the third class's hand and shook it, after peeling Gohan off him and giving the little boy a glare. "Seems you're in one piece too."

"Not completely." Raditz motioned to his lack of tail. "I actually was dead for a while, but the dragon balls wished me back."

_Of course. _But that certainly complicated why Vegeta was suddenly here. He looked to his side to see Bulma smile towards him. That was a question he could save for later. "Brat, you lost your tail as well?"

"Mr. Piccolo removed it so I would...um...blend in with the other humans better." Gohan looked around, "Gosh, I wonder where Mr. Piccolo went already. He never hangs out anywhere too long."

"That's fine with me, Gohan." A black haired woman was grabbing the half-Saiyan's hand at the moment. Vegeta smirked. _This must have been Kakarot's mate that he warned me about. _ The lady was pretty, but she did have a rather shrewd appearance. "I suppose I can forgive you for stealing my child because you helped my husband."

"Hmph. Your forgiveness means nothing."

Chichi shrugged, "And neither does your acceptance of it. You're not some other long lost brother of my husband, are you?"

Vegeta shook his head. He sort of liked this woman.

"Well, good. The last thing I need is another one of you in my house. Bulma, you take this one." Chichi turned back to the house. "I already have two once evil aliens hanging around. By the time Goku comes home, I'll go bankrupt from the food I'll need to cook! Thank Kami, Piccolo only takes water."

"No problem, Chichi!" Bulma called out to the retreating younger woman.

The other fighters gave Vegeta congratulatory pats and smiles, much to his chagrin, and also returned back inside the pink island house. Apparently the true party would be happening in there.

But both Bulma and Vegeta made no move to go inside. It was nighttime here, and Vegeta hadn't seen a peaceful dark sky in a while. It was relaxing to him, familiar. It reminded him of space, and although those times hadn't been his best, they were what he was used to.

Bulma grabbed his hand again, and he didn't resist. She dragged him back to the other side of the house and sat him on the ground. She sat down in front of him and wrapped his arms around her.

Never had she looked more beautiful to him than she did now. The moon shaded her arms and hair in pearl-white light. She was soft in his arms and warm, even though his ki was miles beyond her own. "Where is Kakarot?"

She turned around a bit at the random question and then shrugged, "I tried wishing him back too, but he refused. Apparently he had crashed landed somewhere else, and he wanted to train with whoever he was with."

_Idiot._

"And Raditz?"

"I used the Namekian dragon balls for that. Apparently, after transferring the power to Moori, we still had more wishes. It was like they completely reset. Lucky, isn't it?"

Luck was something he would never take for granted again. Vegeta coughed, voice sounding scratchy. "And me?"

Bulma hesitated and moved to sit beside him. She removed his torn glove and took his calloused, warm hand within her own. Vegeta turned forward at her silence, watching the sea. Vegeta-sei had a sea, though he didn't remember it too well. Vegeta-sei had clouds too and sand and houses, just like Earth.

"I...I wished for you once before."

He looked back to Bulma at the woman's words, seeing her face flush in the darkness. "Excuse me?"

"...When I was sixteen, first I wanted strawberries. They're really good. You should try them while you're here. I mean, you're staying right?"

Vegeta looked back to the ocean and nodded. He would stay here, and not only because he had nowhere else to go, but because he wanted to.

Bulma smiled, "Well...when I had the opportunity to make my first wish for the dragon balls, I made a certain wish. It was a stupid wish, really. I mean, I don't know what I was thinking. Teenagers can be really..."

"Woman." Vegeta was gruff. "Get on with it."

"Right, of course. I wished for...my perfect man."

He would have choked had he been eating anything, "Excuse me?"

"And Shenron...he sent me to you."

"Are you calling me your perfect man?" He found the wish absolutely laughable. She really had been moronic. But he wouldn't hold it against her now for a part of him wanted her to say yes.

Bulma nodded slowly. "Maybe. For me, you're perfect. I think that's...that's what 'I love you' means, Vegeta. That given the choice, if I could wish for anyone to be with, I'd wish to be with you." She hesitated and stared at him, blue eyes wide. "Do you understand?"

He didn't answer, but after a while just kissed her softly on the lips.

She was furiously red now, ignoring the fact that he hadn't truly answered her question. "I wished you here to be with me. I should have done it again after I was wished back the first time but...I was young and stupid. I don't think I could ever apologize enough for it."

"It's okay, Bulma."

Because for once, it was okay. Vegeta had never felt more 'okay' in his life. Here, on some foreign planet, with bloody wounds and sand just about everywhere on his body, he was finally free. Bulma rested her head on his shoulder pad, not minding the blood at all. "You can come live with me back at Capsule Corp. since you are kind of cute..."

She was truly vulgar sometimes. "Hmph."

Bulma kissed him again "I'll take that as a yes." She curled against him, both of their bodies feeding off each other's warmth, idly watching the water roll back and forth on the cool sand.

After a moment, Vegeta stood up and grabbed Bulma by the waist to drag her to her feet. He looked up to the sky, the moon, and then down to her eyes, moving her blue hair back behind her ear. "Bulma..."

She smiled at her name, loving how it sounded on his lips, "Yeah?"

"I think I understand."

* * *

A/N:

This is the official ending to the longest series of stories I have ever written period. I thank all of you for reading and sharing your thoughts with me. This story would not exist without any and all of you. I will get started on an epilogue! And as for a sequel...well, I'm not really sure about that. They seem pretty happy as is :)

Tell me what you think! Until Next time!


	23. Epilogue: 495 Days Later

A/N:

It totally would take me long to post an epilogue. I was bombarded with the realization that I had to pack and go to school and actual start class (again). Summer was way too short :(

Because I am slowly realizing that this semester of my college career is going to be insanely busy (and because I like my ending), I have decided not to do a sequel. I feel that I, as of right now, could not put the dedication and care needed to do it right. But I do plan to keep writing! Perhaps not as frequently because I am taking way too many classes, but I will write more! That I can promise you. I am absolutely up for something new and still in the DBZ world. If anyone could offer any suggestions, I'd be eternally grateful!

And maybe if I'm insanely bored during winter break again, I could plan out something connected to this story. But that's a big maybe. I really did enjoy this ending, and I hope you all were also satisfied.

Before I get into the epilogue, I want to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. Some of you have been with me since the beginning, which is epically amazing. And I am forever grateful for your patience and commitment in reading this AU. My new reviewers are also absolutely amazing. And I wish I could thank each and every one of you personally, but I can't. So I hope you take this message to heart and know that I really appreciate the time you gave to review my story. I need to get better at reviewing myself, and I feel a little awful that I am so picky about reviewing...but I digress. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

It's also insane how I broke 900 reviews. Can I repeat that? ABSOLUTELY INSANE.

Last chapter reviewers get a special thanks:

_Laania, Smile-bestthingintheworld, grumpirah, SaytheSamurai, Greendragons_heart, _6teenana, BlueHairedSaiyan, Death101-Fox Version, Smile For Me Please_, _Black Diamond07, johncorn_ (Sorry D:), _FireStorm199, Nicky757, gege, omgOver9000 _(Sorry sorry! But I hope you like the epilogue!), _mulayhna _(ha that's the plan!), _LunarJade, Many Voices In My Head _(oh! that was you! Ha! And you may just get your wish), _wishiwasbulmasobad _(good luck!), _dyingdreamsv2, Marie Fortune, ZombieChick422 _(not quite 1000, but almost! So crazy!), _Ayaka86, , Rachel Baldson, The Crystal Rose _(thanks so much!), _KayuraK _(Ha, I guess that's one way that could have happened),_Trixie-chan, Cara2012, Cloud Envy Shikamaru, jambacute, six23 _(so glad it wasn't OOC!), _saiyannet, xamss, yourheartspeaksthetruth _(Vegeta is answering Bulma's question from the paragraph when she's explaining about love. I hope that's more clear!), _Hot-tempered-chan, joys, Shirochan21, MK08, Naughty Cat _(oh No! He didn't. Just got wished back from Namek. And my surgery went well! Thanks for asking!), _DBZer16, SelfInfatuated _(Sorry D:. I would love to try something a little different for a while!But thatnks so much!), _Eure (_right now! I'm bad at PMing...), and _Princess Dimimi _(Thanks so much! Your review was very flattering :D).

Thanks guys! I hope to hear from you again when I post my next story, but anyway.

This epilogue doens't really expand on plot or anything like _Make A Wish_. And it isn't one of those wedding scenes either. This is more for fun and because this is how my mind pictured ending this fic as soon as I began writing it. I hope you enjoy it!

Every action, every moment has an aftereffect. Change one thing and you could change the world-hopefully for the better.

* * *

_495 days later..._

He didn't know how he was supposed to go about doing this. Land first. That went without saying. He would land soon, in seconds probably, and then what? His mother's words echoed in his head. Yes, that was it. He would land and find Son Goku without screwing up the timeline too much. Well, at least in ways that wouldn't mean a better future.

In a sharp flash of light, Trunks felt his breath leave his entire body, eyes watering from the sudden impact of sunlight. He had finally arrived. The teenaged boy placed the time machine back into a Capsule case and took off into the air, purple bangs flying.

He would have to wait, of course, for his mission to start.

_About 573...Point 18220... _

He nodded to himself, clicking his wristwatch off, "Should be around here, then..."

Trunks steadied himself onto the ground and flipped through his Capsule case. It would be about three more hours until Son Goku arrived, which meant about three more hours until Frieza got here too. _I wonder what he's like..._

Not Frieza, of course. Trunks could really care less about some alien that he could take out with one Burning Attack. He was nothing compared to the androids, though his mother said they had a rough time with that alien guy on Namek.

_I can't sense his ki anywhere._

Maybe the ship was too far away, though Trunks had thought his ki sensing abilities were a little better than that. If he were specifically looking for Frieza, even though the alien was relatively weak, he should have been able to sense him.

But the only powerful kis he felt were not in space. _Maybe Frieza already landed...and Son Goku too. _It would explain why the kis were so close together, yet...

He immediately froze, recognizing the location instantly. The teenager didn't hold back. Trunks immediately powered up, hair streaking gold, and dashed west.

His body flew over the desert and smaller cities instantly. Gohan had trained him well. A small smile appeared over Trunks' face at the thought of his old master. He wondered what it would be like to see Gohan again. But he wouldn't be the same. This was a different timeline, a different world. And the Gohan he would meet here would be much, much younger. _Can't help but be excited though._

He only hoped his mother's plan would work, that is, if Frieza wasn't already wiping out his home.

He wasn't sure if he had ever seen his city like this before- maybe only from the forgetful eyes of an infant. It was perfect. Pristine. Tall skyscrapers and thousands of small kis hundreds of feet down. There was no one screaming or running, no fires or buildings collapsed from energy blasts. This was how his home was meant to be, and Trunks allowed himself to take in the peace for a moment.

It didn't take long to get to where he had sensed the large kis, and when his blue eyes caught sight of the familiar dome shaped house, he cringed. _Mother..._

Ignoring the possibility of being spotted by normal humans, Trunks speedily landed and started running, orange scabbard clanging on his back.

"Hey!"

The young voice made him stop dead. The purple haired teenager turned around to see a boy with black hair in a fighting stance. _Gohan! _He suppressed the inward laugh wanting to escape. The Gohan he knew was tall with scars on his face, not some four-foot kid. It was funny how a thing like time could completely change a person.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

His mind froze at the questions. Trunks hadn't really thought about what he was going to say. He was really only supposed to speak to Goku himself. Telling the truth was always an option, but it seemed to be a stupid one. He didn't want to risk his existence, even if that did mean that this 'saving the alternate timeline' thing would be easier. He was a Saiyan too, and perhaps an important asset in the future. He couldn't risk that. "Nobody that concerns you."

"Then why are you here?" Gohan sounded more curious than anything. "...You...your ki is strange."

The older boy ignored the statement, "Gohan, where's Frieza?" He was surprised his own mentor wasn't more concerned about the evil alien, but perhaps, his initial defensiveness towards him was a result of Frieza's presence.

Gohan's eyes widened at both statements, "...Huh? Frieza? And how do you know my name?"

Reddening at his slight slip up, the teenager sighed and crossed his arms. "That isn't important right now. What I need to do is defeat Frieza and wait for Goku to arrive."

"Arrive? What are you talking about? Oh!" Gohan jumped a bit. "You must have met my dad while he was on that other planet! Did he tell you about Frieza? You don't need to worry though. Frieza's dead."

"I'm sorry, but you must be mistaken. You thought Son Goku killed Frieza on Namek, but it wasn't enough. Frieza's father reconstructed his body and he should be here..." The purple haired boy clicked his watch, "...in 2 hours and 24 minutes."

Gohan sat on the green lawn, face contorting in confusion. They were far from the main yellow house of Capsule Corp., probably in an isolated area reserved for meditating or, perhaps, where his grandmother had kept all those animals. "You're the one that's mistaken, Mr. ..."

The teenager blinked, "...Um, what do you mean?"

"My dad wasn't the one who defeated Frieza."

"...Then how did he..."

"Uncle Vegeta destroyed him on Namek. Did my dad lie to you? That's not like him at all..."

_What! _"...my...I mean, Vegeta was the one that killed..."

"Yeah. And then he had my dad bring him to where Frieza's dad was, and I guess they were destroyed too." Gohan shrugged, "I know fighting and killing is wrong, but they were pretty evil."

Had his mom been lying to him this entire time? She had always seemed to idolize Son Goku. That was the reason for this whole mission, wasn't it? To give Goku medicine because he would be the answer to defeating the androids. It always confused him why his mother, a self proclaimed and proven genius, would think that one person could defeat the monsters that made his life a living Hell.

He had always wondered where he had come from-the Saiyan half, the half that allotted him so much strength and power. His mother had said his father was a prince and that he was stubborn and proud and arrogant and a whole mess of words he wished he never heard. She went a little _too_ detailed into their situation for Trunks' liking, but he had to admit, he was grateful for the honesty. He didn't exactly expect to see his father and mother as a happy family here or anywhere for that matter. It was simple attraction that led to his birth-nothing more. He still remembered what she had said to him right before he had left.

"_Don't get your hopes up."_

But how could he not?

Now he was thinking that there was something deeper behind his mother's feign apathy. _Is she resentful?_ Over what, Trunks didn't know. But it would explain why she told him Son Goku killed Frieza when he clearly did not.

_Then why say he came back to Earth? Why not admit that he died on Namek?_

"...That explains why I don't sense his ki."

Gohan raised an eyebrow, "You can sense ki too? Yours is suppressed right now, isn't it?"

Trunks nodded his head, but didn't offer any answer to the question behind those words. Gohan was very intuitive, and that seemed to be the case even when he was a child.

A shadow of a man rounded the corner behind a gathering of palm trees. "Gohan! We're not finished yet!"

He didn't recognize this voice at all, not that he expected to. But this man's appearance also wasn't familiar. He had seen Goku before, his photos plastered over the living room when he had visited Mt. Paozu a few times. _Is this him?_

Trunks stared a long time at this new guest. He had long black hair and dark eyes, obviously Saiyan. _No...it isn't my father, but who is he?_

He was wearing a normal t-shirt and jeans, looking comfortable yet strangely out of place. His eyes narrowed at Trunks, "Who are you?"

Gohan turned towards the older Saiyan. "I don't know, Uncle Raditz. He just flew over here looking for my dad."

_Raditz?_ His mother never told him about another Saiyan. Trunks coughed, not exactly knowing how to go about this at all. "Is Son Goku around?"

"He doesn't appear to be threatening, but his ki is really high." Raditz crossed his arms and nudged his head to the side. "You can talk to my brother. Just wait a moment."

"Your...your brother?"

"Yes, Kakarot or 'Goku' is my brother. I'll go get him so you don't disturb the party."

"Thank you." Trunks nodded his head down in respect, "Your trust means a lot. I promise I am an ally."

Raditz nodded, scratching his head, "Yeah, for some reason you seem very familiar." The older Saiyan moved away from the two half-Saiyans and back towards the main house.

_So Goku is on Earth already?_

Another factor his mother got wrong. Perhaps her memory was worse than Trunks thought.

Gohan shifted down to the floor, wiping his brow. It was then Trunks realized that his master had been training. The young boy seemed to acknowledge his silent question, "Uncle Raditz likes to use the Gravity Room whenever we get a chance to. So does Mr. Piccolo. Did my dad tell you about him?"

"No." Trunks sat down. He couldn't really lie, especially to Gohan. "I'm...I can't really tell anyone why I'm here except for your dad."

"Oh, why?"

"I...it could affect the future in a bad way." He ignored the confused look on his mentor's face and opted for redirection. "You were training during a party?"

"...It's not really a boy sort of party. I was kind of forced to come or study. Oh! Here he comes!"

Goku turned the corner, bright orange gi standing out against the mostly green landscape. Trunks stood up at his appearance, bowing his head slightly in respect. But Goku just looked baffled. "Who are you?"

"You mean, you don't know him, Dad?" Gohan's concern grew.

"Nope." Son Goku approached the teenaged half-Saiyan, "But...you do look familiar. Have we met?"

"Not exactly." Trunks reverted to his serious face, pushing away all of the confusing and conflicting thoughts. He had a mission to accomplish and a warning to give. "Can we go somewhere else so we can talk in private?"

Goku nodded and touched Trunks' shoulder. With two fingers raised to his forehead, he teleported the both of them away from West City.

* * *

Trunks hated being the bearer of bad news, but Goku seemed surprisingly...excited. He supposed that was the Saiyan in him. Trunks could feel it too sometimes. That undeniable urge to fight, to face someone that could potentially over power you. The sensation was the strongest whenever he turned Super Saiyan, a transformation he happily showed Goku to prove his lineage.

"You trust me then? You'll prepare for the androids?" Trunks powered down. There was something unsettling about Goku's reaction to all of his news, and it wasn't just the excitement part. That was understandable. It was reasonable for Goku to also freak out about the whole time travel thing, but the full blooded Saiyan only nodded when Trunks told him his name.

"Yeah, 'course I trust you, Trunks. Why wouldn't I?"

_Because you don't know who I am..._ He let the thought slide, digging through his pocket instead to hand Goku the heart medication. "I suppose you're wondering why there's another Super Saiyan."

Goku seemed to search Trunks' face for a moment. "Your future is really different, isn't it?"

The teenager didn't exactly know how to answer that, and Goku never really gave him a chance to. In another flash, they vanished from the deserted wasteland Goku had brought them to and were back on Capsule Corp. grounds.

They were closer to the house this time. Trunks could see the blue and white balloons framing the doorway of the patio. No one was outside, except for a green alien Goku introduced as Piccolo.

Trunks remembered the name from his mother's stories, and was happy to put a face to the name, even if he wasn't very talkative.

"He's not really the party sort of guy. Vegeta's better, but only by a little. He had a hard time adjusting to Earth." Goku scratched his head, laughing, "Well, not _too_ hard a time, but you'll see."

_What is he doing?_ "Son Goku, with all due respect, shouldn't we be telling the others about the androids? They are much more powerful than Frieza..."

"Frieza didn't seem all that powerful."

Trunks narrowed his blue eyes. "Did...Vegeta tell you that?"

"Yeah, he did, but I could sense it while I was still on Namek too."

"You didn't have any issues trying to get back to Earth?"

The tall, dark haired Saiyan laughed again, "Oh! You must have heard about that. Yeah, I had a little bit of a problem, but as soon as I learned Instant Transmission I came right back to Earth. I probably would have had a difficult time finding it though if Vegeta wasn't a Super Saiyan. I needed a powerful ki to sense for location."

_A WHAT?_

He hadn't realized his father had the ability to transform too! From all he knew, Goku was the only one who could transform before Gohan and himself. "Your timeline really is different, isn't it?"

"Just wait." Goku led Trunks to the patio door, knocking softly before opening it to reveal a gang of people, huddled around a couch. "Hey! I'm back!"

"SON GOKU!"

Trunks recognized the voice and turned, expecting to see a petite, yet tough, Chichi coming towards her husband. It was rare for Trunks to see Chichi mad in his timeline, things were too depressing to ever be mad at anything, but there were some instances when Gohan was still alive when her fiery nature would show.

But he hadn't been expecting this.

She didn't look that angry at her husband. Nope, that wasn't what made his jaw completely drop. _I...I don't get it. _

Even at first glance it was noticeable, but she couldn't have been too far along. Trunks looked to Goku and then back to Chichi, confused and almost alarmed that he hadn't know about this. The Saiyan was smiling brightly while his wife looked as if she were about to punch him. "Leave during your own son's baby shower to _train_. Your lack of manners still amazes even me, Goku."

"Sorry, Chichi. You know I can't pass a chance to train. Especially since Vegeta seemed to actually let me use the Gravity Room this time."

At his father name, Trunks looked around the room, but neither of his parents was there. _Weird. _What was even weirder was that there was another baby half-Saiyan that his mother failed to tell him about. He searched the baby's ki, looking for any kind of defect that could lead to a miscarriage or any other reason why this baby wasn't in his future. But he found none. The fetus seemed to be healthy and most likely male.

"Hey, who's that?"

Trunks turned to the short, bald man asking the question and immediately gulped. _This must be Krillin. _He wasn't supposed to be meeting all of these people! As much as he would have loved to see his father, he was starting to think that his presence alone had affected the future in unpredictable ways. Maybe this new baby was replacing him. Maybe in this timeline his parents didn't get together at all, and he would never exist.

"He's just a friend, Krillin. Wanted to stop by and give Chichi his blessing." Goku patted Trunks on the back, "Isn't that right?"

Trunks nodded and bowed politely in front of Chichi. "I hope your pregnancy goes well, Mrs. Son."

"He's gonna stay here for a while. He has something important to tell us. But it can wait until tomorrow." Goku gave Trunks a pointed look. "Let himself enjoy today."

His mind was completely boggled. Trunks had so many questions, but he followed Goku's wishes and sat on the couch, a fair distance away from Chichi who was looking at the pile of nicely wrapped presents in front of her. Gohan and Raditz soon joined the crowd of people, the small boy taking a seat right next to his mother. "I'm excited to have a little brother. You sure it's gonna be a boy, Mom?"

"I could sense it with you, and I can feel it with this one too."

"You have a name yet?" The scarred man said this one. Trunks thought he recognized him to be his mother's ex-boyfriend.

Chichi shook her head, "I have some ideas. It needs to be special though. I was lucky that my husband was alive and came back to Earth. This is a gift from heaven." Chichi smiled at Goku and grabbed a present wrapped in gold paper from the coffee table in front of her.

"Don't you dare, Chichi!" A blue haired woman moved through the door leading to the kitchen, a large, white frosted cake in tow. "No opening presents until after cake! I'm throwing you a proper shower."

Bulma set down the cake on the table, blue eyes suddenly meeting that of Trunks'. "...Oh! Hello!"

He couldn't count how many times he had been speechless today, but that number seemed to only grow. "H-hello."

"My aren't you a shy one. A friend Goku picked up on one of his adventures?" Bulma offered.

Trunks nodded immediately. This wasn't supposed to be so difficult, was it? Bulma seemed to be staring at him, eyes wide as if trying to decipher who the heck he actually was. She wasn't prodding though, which was strange for the mother he knew and loved, but Trunks took whatever luck he could get. He turned down the offer of cake, and stood up. He had his fill of awkward tension. "...Please excuse me, but is there a bathroom I can use nearby?"

Of course there was, but he asked anyway. He was supposed to be a guest here.

"Yeah, sure. The one down here is being remodeled. Use the one upstairs. Second door when you turn right."

Trunks nodded to his mother. "Thank you." And immediately headed upstairs.

The second door on the right was conveniently next to a room with two kis inside. And after washing his face at least five times and assuring himself that he had used the time machine properly, Trunks concentrated on the nearby energies. Both were powerful, obviously not human, though one dwarfed the other easily. He walked towards the closed door, knowing already who was inside. It was obvious. Right there. Yards-no-feet away from him. And yet all he could do was stand there.

He exhaled slowly and just listened to the slight murmurs from the other side of the door.

"You're...you're him, aren't you?"

Trunks froze in the hallway, turning timidly towards the voice behind him. His mother, well, a younger version of his mother, looked at him, a large grin painted on her pale face. She continued softly, "It's okay. He won't mind if you go in. You can see him."

"...Excuse me?"

"Trunks, do you think I can't recognize my own son?" She walked forward to him, moving his purple hair behind his ears. "You have my dad's hair and your father's eyes. You know that, don't you?"

"You tell me that all the time."

Bulma laughed, "I'm sure I do."

He moved away, shaking his head. "But...how do you know me? I'm not supposed to be born yet. How did you..."

"Goku told me who you were. You don't have to hide yourself from me. I am your mother after all." Bulma placed her hands on her hips. "And I got to admit, I have pretty good looking children. I'm glad you grow out of that scowling thing you like to do now."

"So I am...I mean..."

"Of course you are! You think Goku would say anything if it hadn't happened yet?"

"I thought that because Chichi's pregnant..."

Bulma shook her head, "Yeah, after seeing you, she must have wanted another one for herself. Not that I blame her; you are sort of adorable. And it gives you a nice playmate too, doesn't it?" She narrowed her blue eyes at Trunks' paling features. "Are you okay?"

"This is just all too..."

"Weird?"

Trunks shook his head, "Early. You and my father weren't supposed to..."

"I don't see why not." Bulma shrugged. "We are married."

_MARRIED? _ "What?"

"Were we not in your time?" Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Weird. We certainly knew each other long enough. Since I was sixteen."

Okay. That wasn't right at all. His real mother had told him all about Vegeta's trip to Earth, and that happened much later than when she was sixteen. "...But when he came to Earth..."

"We got married. Totally took me by surprise too. Didn't think Vegeta would go for the whole human custom thing. But he's a proud guy. _That_ at least must be true in your time. He didn't want a 'vulgar, dishonorable, relationship'. And I guess..." Bulma paused, blushing slightly. "I guess I was ready."

It took a while to process the information, but Trunks eventually smiled at his mother. Maybe this world had already changed for the better-well, a little bit at least.

"Goku told me you don't remember him." Bulma placed a hand on Trunks' shoulder. "I don't know what happened in your world, but for whatever reason...if Vegeta..." She shook her head, "You're welcome to go in and meet him."

He hesitated before moving forward. "You sure?"

"I want you too. Go!" She pushed his back eagerly, and Trunks grabbed the metal doorknob, turning it slowly-inch by inch.

The small baby's room was coated in powder blue pillows and blankets. Numerous toys were littered all over the floor, and in one corner was a Saiyan prince in a pink shirt and yellow pants, looking down at a purple haired baby on a changing table. "Woman, I will never figure this out. I don't know why you insist on me doing this."

Bulma leaned on the doorframe after pushing the teenaged version of her son deeper into the room. "Vegeta we have a guest. This is Trunks."

Vegeta turned around, black eyes seemingly emotionless. He crossed his arms and went up to Trunks, leaving the baby diaper-less and half asleep. "How old are you?"

That wasn't what he was expecting. Maybe a 'where the Hell did you come from?' or a 'what the fuck is going on?'. But Trunks found this question a bit easier to answer. "Seventeen."

"And already a Super Saiyan."

"You know that?"

"Hmph." Vegeta turned back around and wrapped the diaper sloppily around Baby Trunks. "Your ki. I was tracing it ever since you landed on Earth. Where did he come from?"

Bulma shrugged nonchalantly, "The future."

"I guess that would be the only option. Some invention of yours, I'm presuming. That or those stupid dragon balls." Vegeta held the chubby, frowning baby away from his face and looked to his teenage son, "Want to hold him?"

He didn't really have a choice in the matter. Vegeta dropped the baby in his hands, repositioning a small, blue cap on top of the small wisp of purple hair. The baby reached forward and grabbed teenaged Trunks' nose, laughing happily to himself. _As if this day could get any weirder..._

"You're obviously not here for a house call."

Trunks nodded his head, still a bit in shock. Maybe he thought his father would be taller or bigger, but there was something still majestic about how Vegeta held himself. He coughed and placed Baby Trunks back into his crib. "No, I'm not."

"I suppose there's some threat in the future that took my life then."

Bulma bit her lip, and Trunks slowly nodded. "How did you know?"

"It's the only explanation as to why you're staring at me like that."

"I'm...I'm sorry."

Vegeta grunted, "Don't apologize. Woman, this is why I can't leave you alone with the child for too long. This one's far too polite. Completely un-Saiyan."

His own time mother's words echoed again through his head. Trunks lowered his eyes. His hopes were already too high to try to bring down.

Bulma didn't say anything. She moved up towards her husband, planting a small kiss on his temple and then retreated from the room, closing the door behind her.

Baby Trunks' crib stood under a closed window, blinds drawn to let the sunlight stream in. Vegeta moved to close the blinds and then pressed the nightlight on the side dresser. An array of light shaped like stars and planets started revolving around the room.

"I never thought I would end up like this."

It was so soft, Trunks didn't even think he heard it. "Excuse me?"

"Come closer if you can't hear me, boy!"

He did as he was told, yellow boots sliding across the hardwood floors. "Yes, sir."

Vegeta didn't turn to face him, but he didn't have to. His dark eyes were focused on the baby wriggling below. "I was a prince of a dead race. I never thought I'd have the opportunity to make it grow again. You are really my son, yes?"

Trunks immediately answered, "Yes."

"You are strong. We are the most powerful warriors in the universe. And whatever monster is haunting you..." He glanced up at the rotating lights on the ceiling. "I want you to know that you can defeat him. Maybe not today, but you will. I never want you to think that you are anything less than you are. You are a Saiyan prince. You are my son, and you earned the right to be a Super Saiyan."

"Father..." He knew the water in his eyes wasn't Saiyan-like, so he forced them back down, chest rising.

Vegeta finally turned, "I will never be the type of man to kill you with praise and affection. You have your mother for that. But I want you to know, Trunks, that in this world and yours, I would do anything and everything for you. Do you understand me?"

"I understand."

"Good." Vegeta sighed and crossed his arms. The baby was finally snoring, but that didn't stop the older prince from talking. "I suppose you want to get to know me." Vegeta gestured to the rocking chair to the side of the crib. "Take a seat. This may take a while."

* * *

A/N:

Trunks deserved to know his father. That's what I always thought. A little note about the marriage bit. In the manga translation I read, when Trunks saves Bulma and his baby self from blowing up in the skycar when the androids attack, Trunks actually yells at Vegeta for not saving his _wife_ and child. Which I found completely suprising since most fics don't have them married until Trunks is like...5 or whatever. But anyway, that made me think it was appropriate for them to be married now.

So after a long time and a few scattered updates, this is the end. Thank you all once again. I will be sure to check this account a little _too _often, obsessively reading over the stats for this story. Until next time!


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